At the time it was the site of the countrys capital punishment regime (which was abolished in 1995), and housed its death row. A third prisoner, Alex Moumbaris, was brought in to be part of the escape. Imposing: Pretoria Prison Speaking from his home in North London, dad-of-two Stephen, now 62, says they had been determined to escape from the moment they arrived at notorious Pretoria. Meanwhile, it may struggle to find much of a fanbase in its own country of setting, where audiences might reasonably wonder why at least one South African actor couldnt have been cast in a principal role. Escape From Pretoria is in cinemas Friday. [37][38] Jenkin spent some time in Adelaide, advising Radcliffe on accent and other aspects of the film, as well as playing as an extra, playing a prisoner next to Radcliffe in the visiting room. [20] After a spell in the notorious John Vorster Square in Johannesburg, they were returned to Cape Town and after four weeks, allowed to see family, and held at Pollsmoor Prison as they awaited trial. The inmate took a piece of paper, stuffed it into the lock using a knife and measured the depth. Surely his amazing story has had the big Hollywood sparkle, though? peoplepill id: alex-moumbaris. Written and directed by Francis Annan, the historical thriller sheds light on how Stephen and Tim managed to defy all expectations and escape from the Pretoria Central Prison. It's not intended as a . A guard who found it assumed a colleague was to blame. framkalla filmrulle sjlv . ; nyexaminerad lnespecialist ln; kallades en flygare webbkryss; lud zbunjen normalan 9; bands with moon in the name It was not until the following morning that the warders realised the three men were missing. The video features excerpts from interviews with Jenkin, Lee, Moumbaris and Goldberg filmed in 2012, in between re-enacted scenes of the prison escape. To make matters more complicated, he could only unlock his cell door from the outside, and used a broomstick he had been allowed to hang on to for cleaning with the key attached to the end so that he could reach. Lee made an escape attempt and nearly succeeded. Moubaris went to the USSR for training. Continue without accepting. We walked out as if we had every right to be there.". Jenkins was not going to help the cause by sitting in prison, and he set about planning an escape. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. Escape from Pretoria. In front of him was a lock - and the sight of it was enough to propel him to his feet and set to work making a wooden key that would help him and fellow inmate Stephen Lee make it to freedom. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Denis Goldberg first joined in with the intention of fleeing as well, but he eventually withdrew and stayed on as an advisor. But when it comes to watching him break out of prison all over again, though, there is no stirring feeling, no rush of emotions that come back to Jenkin. . They were both found guilty on one charge, with Jenkin receiving a 12-year sentence and Lee eight. "Just in case, we had brought a chisel. "You get back to your cell and youd think, 'OK, its over, I can relax' but you couldnt.". It took them a year to get as far as door eleven, the final one. [27] A decade later Jenkin also created Clearing Central, a 2nd tier exchange for moneyless exchange between groups. Moumbaris was the only non-South African prisoner, and when Jenkin met him, he appeared as "a little aloof". The system was never cracked and helped the ANC coordinate in the run up to Nelson Mandela's release from prison. Here they met Oliver Tambo and Alfred Nzo, President and Secretary-General of the ANC respectively, and gave a press conference on 2 January 1980. Speaking to Metro.co.uk about learning the news Radcliffe would be portraying him, Jenkin (who was sentenced to 12 years in prison) said the A-list casting came as a surprise. He lived and worked in UK and later moved to South Africa. Characterization takes a distant back seat to the ingenious practicalities of the mission itself. Jenkin says that he'd always thought his book was "good movie material" and he wasn't wrong. 12 'To build solidarity - that was my task', "Daniel Radcliffe to Star in Prison-Break Drama 'Escape From Pretoria', "Pretoria Prison break: Amazing story of the daring men who escaped notorious apartheid regime jail", "Adelaide transformed into apartheid-era Cape Town for Escape From Pretoria filming", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tim_Jenkin&oldid=1137067993, This page was last edited on 2 February 2023, at 16:48. Moumbaris's family migrated to Australia when he was young and he became a naturalised Australian citizen,[1] but he left for France when he was 16 years old. Jenkin had smuggled some money into prison. After his brainwave about fashioning a lock for his cell door while lying on his bunk bed, Tim felt confident the plan would work. Director Francis Annan and his co-writer L.H . A lot of people cant understand how we got the shape of the key, but if you break it down most of the dimensions you get from the lock itself, you measure the hole, Jenkin explains like its nothing. [7][8], Jenkin met Stephen Lee in a sociology class at UCT. They were so convinced that they'd soon find a way out that they had money smuggled in to use for taxi fares once they got out. They moved to London in 1961,[1] where Moumbaris worked for the IT department of Reuters-Comtel. Their fellow inmates told them theyd never make it. Moumbaris grew cynical about these claims but continued to see him as it was another visit from an outsider, and he could ask him questions about France. [5] He later wrote that he had "grown up a 'normal' complacent white South African" who "unthinkingly accepted the system and for twenty-one years never questioned it". Copyright 2023 Distractify. Australian actor and former elite cyclist Nathan Page, best known internationally for his nuanced portrayal of Detective Inspector Jack Robinson in Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries (2012), was born into an air force family in Perth on 25 August 1971. While their revolutionary deeds helped to change the course of history, their prison escape was that which garnered them real fame. . While cleaning their corridor outside, Tim got his second key to fit but the bolt became stuck. The ol razzle dazzle where his journey looks nothing like how it has been portrayed on screen, In a way the real story is even more exciting, its just too long to fit into the 100 minutes, so theyve taken license to summaries a whole lot of events into one. He signalled his wish to be included in any possible escape plan to Jenkin even before the idea was presented to him, after Jenkin had mentioned he and Lee had brought some money into prison. As clunkily deployed in the script for Escape from Pretoria, however, the line acts as a shortcut to nobility, in a tight genre exercise that has scant time for such elaborate niceties as character development and social context. He is best known for his 1979 escape from Pretoria Local Prison, along with Stephen Lee and Alex Moumbaris. Would you have the guts to chisel away keys out of wood in your prison cell to open the nine steel, guarded doors to your freedom right under the noses of violent prison wardens? It's not intended as a compliment: "The most deluded of them all," the warden adds, lest it be taken as such. [15] Both of them and Lee felt throughout the sooner they got out, the greater the chances of being discovered; the others warned against impatience but agreed the participants should as far as possible be in control.[16]. [33][34], In May 2017, it was announced that production would start on a film of Jenkin's book, produced by David Barron and starring Daniel Radcliffe as Jenkin and Ian Hart as Goldberg. This was how he knew how long the key needed to be. So it is a very strange sort of thing., Jenkin continues: It is very exciting [to watch] but I knew the outcome. Jenkins book of the same title was published in 1987, when he was still living as a fugitive from nominal justice in London. He worked for the ANC Elections Briefing Unit from 1994 (the year of the first fully democratic elections in South Africa), before being appointed head of their Electronic Information Unit in Cape Town later that year. The third partner in the escape, Egyptian-born activist Alex Moumbaris, has been fictionalized as enigmatic Frenchman Leonard (Mark Leonard Winter), who has no discernible history or motivation at all, while two black allies in the plan are marginal presences at best. [23], As the plan evolved it became clear that for the escape to be successful it would have to be restricted to three people, who would have to hide in a small closet at one point. There he met and married a French woman, Marie-Jos. You hardly have to measure., He continued: The actual shape, we got by looking at their [guards] keys, as we had the overall height already, it was just a question of guessing how deep the cuts were and our guess was correct and the very first key was correct. [2] However the boat had developed engine problems and had to return to Somalia. [3], On 23 October 1973, the matter of possible theft of documents from the Clapham Common home of Moumbaris and his wife was raised in the UK parliament by Labour party MP Alex Lyon. I was so worried it was making a tremendous noise. [2] He worked for about nine years before becoming involved with the ANC [3] as one of the "London Recruits". The key, fortunately, also worked for the door of Stephen's neighbouring cell. Others were also caught, but they succeeded in infiltrating a number of trained militants. He was also influenced by the Vietnam War and the Greek coup of the colonels in 1967. more Rent SAR 14.99 Buy SAR 49.99 Trailers Ratings and Reviews 4.5 COMMON SENSE When the night came, Denis Goldberg, a political prisoner who would serve 22 years, distracted the guards. Actually were Tim to 12 years and Stephen to 8 years in Pretoria Prison shipped after they Handed out leaflets with a (harmless) explosion. If youve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with theMetro.co.ukentertainment team by emailing uscelebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page wed love to hear from you. [19], By escaping, Moumbaris had reduced his sentence by five and a half years. He adds: I have probably different emotions as people. Locked up in a maximum-security jail for setting off harmless leaflet propaganda bombs spreading dissent against the apartheid regime in 1970s South Africa, Stephen and friend Tim Jenkin were about to embark on one of the most audacious prison breaks in history. . But he needed to create another one to make it into the next part of the prison. I started to carve a few little pieces of wood, one for the shaft and one for the bit of the key, Tim told National Geographic. Rent EGP 29.99 Buy EGP 149.99 Trailers Trailer 14+ COMMON SENSE There were numerous gates, many metal grill doors. Ze worden op heterdaad betrapt en veroordeeld tot een jarenlange gevangenisstraf in Pretoria Central Prison. Undeterred, Tim said: From the very first day, we started to collect intelligence about possible escape routes.. This, along with his generally scruffy appearance and his refusal to keep his cell tidy led to a bad reputation amongst the prison wardens meant he had never been promoted beyond the "B" group in his six years in prison, while the others had reached "A" within two. Here, Jenkin met his future wife Robin. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. While awaiting clearance for membership, Jenkin worked as a social worker at a reform school in Swindon. Breakout, exclusive to National Geographic Channel, Fridays, 9pm. Alexandre Moumbaris is a political activist and former political prisoner. The pair were initially kept in solitary confinement for a month before being charged with political "terrorism" in a trial in June 1978. [19] The street was deserted, but they still had to find their way out of South Africa, into Mozambique and to freedom. [17] Lee, having many friends in Johannesburg, thought it best to contact them in the first instance, so the group split at that point, making plans to meet in London. I felt so elated.". He had been waiting for this sound for several hours every night for two months. On the third occasion a sea-landing of 19 MK fully-armed members was to occur, Moumbaris was the commander of the receiving group. While Tim - the technical mastermind - was sentenced to 12 years in jail, his friend Stephen got eight years. [10], Upon return to Cape Town in July 1975, Lee and Jenkin bought a typewriter, duplicator and stationery to print and post pamphlets and leased first a garage and then a tiny apartment. He escaped with fellow activists Stephen Lee and Alex Moumbaris. It took them months to crack the fourth lock. While their revolutionary deeds helped to change the course of history, their prison escape was that which garnered them real fame. "We were right underneath an armed guard but he didnt see us. [14], Moumbaris was allowed to see the French envoy from time to time, who would assure him he was doing everything within his power to secure his release and persuade the authorities to let Marie-Jos visit him. He was accused of having published, in the Press Newsletter (BIP), the article "Boycott Divestment Sanctions (BDS) 2010", summing up the activities and successes of the BDS campaign during 2010. He discovered to his horror that there were ten doors they had to make it through. It was hugely emotional. We just hoped that nobody would see us.". [9], In February 1974, Jenkin and Lee left the country in order to join the ANC in London, with the intention of helping to bring about change in South Africa. Recalling their rather more successful attempt, Stephen explained: The sense of freedom was amazing. Escape from Pretoria," however, the line acts as a shortcut to nobility, in a tight genre exercise that has scant time for such elaborate niceties as character development and social context. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. "We would go to crowded bus stations and markets and leave them. Luckily, the warder blamed one of his colleagues. Sneaking out of their cells at night, they soon managed to get through door four. They were sent to Pretoria Central Prison - since renamed Kgosi Mampuru II Management Area - where prisoners were divided up depending on their race. It was a wonderful feeling.. [39], Harry Potter of Jailbreaking: Tim Jenkin on Freedom, first fully democratic elections in South Africa, "Talking to Vula: The Story of the Secret Underground Communications Network of Operation Vula", "Press Conference by O. R. Tambo, Introducing Alexandre Moumbaris, Stephen Lee and Timothy Jenkin who Escaped from Prison in South Africa", "Should communities be able to design their own currencies? Similarly to American Animals, the fast-paced narrative is geared toward the great moment of liberation, showing how the prisoners ended up developing their invincible strategy. Then, one day he was working in a carpentry workshop and it struck him that the key could be wooden. He was visited in prison twice a year by his mother and young son, Boris, from France. In my early years I had learned to pick the back door lock at home with a piece of wire, he explained. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Now Escape From Pretoria tells the story of Jenkin and Stephen Lee, two white South African activists, imprisoned in 1978 for working on behalf of the African National Congress (ANC), and their escape from the notorious white mans Robben Island, Pretoria Prison. Just supporting the liberation movement was deemed to be terrorism.. Sketchy as it is on human details, Escape from Pretoria gets by on such practical nuts and bolts. skuggans caf lngtora. In June 1978, Stephen Lee and Tim Jenkin were sentenced to eight to 12 years in prison for producing political pamphlets during the Apartheid. "I wanted to run but we just kept walking to the railway station, where we used our money to get in a taxi.. As clunkily deployed in the [] "You are the white Mandela," says a ham-faced warden, all but spitting in the face of anti-apartheid activist Tim Jenkin upon his arrival at Pretoria Local Prison in 1978. 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Jordan Meets Reporter at 'Creed III' Premiere Who 'Teased Him all the Time' in High School: 'I Was the Corny Kid, Right? So I wouldnt say its embellished at all, its quite accurate, he explains. Speaking from his home in North London, dad-of-two Stephen, now 62, says they had been determined to escape from the moment they arrived at notorious Pretoria Prison. [13] Jenkin went to London at the request of the ANC in May 1976, while Lee continued to plant leaflet bombs around Johannesburg. The only languages allowed to be spoken during visits were the two "official" languages, English and Afrikaans, but as Boris only spoke French and was deemed too young to be a security risk, allowed them to converse in French. Sporting a squirrelly shag wig and a valiantly attempted but wayward Cape Town accent, Radcliffe plays Jenkin, a middle-class sociology student turned underground activist for the African National Congress, with his own brand of puppyish but righteous commitment. The pair ended up behind bars in the South African city of Tshwane in 1979 due to their roles as white supporters of Nelson Mandelas then-banned African National Congress (ANC). [2] Goldberg and the others decided to withdraw from the escape, with Goldberg continuing to be involved in the preparations. Escape from Pretoria is a 2020 Australian prison film co-written and directed by Francis Annan, based on the real-life prison escape by three political prisoners in South Africa in 1979, starring Daniel Radcliffe and Daniel Webber. Stephen and Tim, 64, whose story is told tonight in Breakout on the National Geographic Channel, were supporters of Nelson Mandelas ANC who had been put under surveillance by South Africas secret police for their clandestine activity. The first to get out of the toughest jail in South Africa, Stephen and Tim earned renown with a borderline genius hack. Again Tims ingenuity was tested. Home Office Minister Mark Carlisle said no evidence had been found at that time of South African responsibility for illegal activities, but appropriate action would be taken should it appear. The prison, constructed from stone and steel, had gone down in prisoner folklore as being a fortress from which no one could ever hope to escape. After hundreds of days of looking at the keys, he commits their shape to memory and successfully makes replicas for all nineteen doors that lead to the main gate of the prison. The real-life Goldberg was much more supportively involved in the prison-break strategy; if the script does him something of a disservice for the purposes of greater narrative friction, thats not the fastest and loosest it plays with facts. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. Jenkin hatches a plan to whittle wooden facsimiles of the keys to every door separating them from the outside world an almost naively simple scheme that necessitates a complex network of hiding places and bluffs, as vindictive guards begin to suspect something is afoot. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. People / Alex Moumbaris. Members' spirits were low and this combination of factors made it difficult for the ANC to re-infiltrate the combatants who had been trained abroad. After that they made it to Mozambique, Angola, and then on to Europe. [20], In Paris, Moumbaris organised the opening of the ANC office in 1981[21] and continued to assist the struggle against apartheid in various ways, including recruiting comrades for missions in South Africa for MK. All Rights Reserved. It was dangerous, they did have regular inspections. [2], Moumbaris became involved with the ANC at a time when the organisation had suffered many setbacks. Escape from Pretoria: Directed by Francis Annan. Stephen and Tim began devising ways to break out as soon as they arrived. Instead, 25 guerillas were infiltrated overland, with Moumbaris aiding with border reconnaissance and transport,[5] as commander of the receiving operation. The moment we heard the knocking on the door, we knew that was it, Tim told The Times. While awaiting clearance for membership, Jenkin worked as a social worker at a reform school in Swindon. They would contain simple messages, urging people to support the liberation movement. After months of meticulous surveillance, breath-taking ingenuity, and in a race against time as the authorities strengthen the prison security defenses, the group craft wooden keys for each of the 10 steel doors separating them from the main door and freedom. Jenkin, Lee, and fellow prisoner Alex Moumbaris were also involved in the escape. The way Jenkin speaks about the escape is with a sort of whimsy, despite the danger theyd be in if they were caught suppose with 40 years between you and the act, theres been time to reflect. They then photocopied it and swapped it with other students. Adams and Karol Griffiths, director Annan certainly preserved that unique touch but also added some very entertaining and wonderful cinematic elements to it. Using an ingenious homemade wooden key attached, like a crankshaft, to the end of a broomstick, Tim had just got through his outer cell door. 1978 There were a few worrying signs that Jenkin was being monitored, but he went to London to see Robin for six weeks and returned without incident. They had to leave it untested until the actual night of their escape, December 11, 1979 - 18 months after their conviction. After months of meticulous surveillance, breath-taking ingenuity, and in a race against time as the authorities strengthen the prison security defenses, the group craft wooden keys for each of the 10 steel doors separating them from the main door and freedom. They both found their sociology course disappointing, as the material reinforced the status quo of apartheid. 40 years after his mad dash for freedom with his collection of wooden keys and one chisel which was, unbelievably, successful Jenkins story is being told in the feature film, with Daniel Radcliffe playing the lead role. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. There was enough explosive inside to lift about 500 pamphlets into the air. As clunkily deployed in the [] "You are the white Mandela," says a ham-faced warden, all but spitting in the face of anti-apartheid activist Tim Jenkin upon his arrival at Pretoria Local Prison in 1978. There was only one guard on duty and he was chatting to Denis. He is known for his political activism against the apartheid rgime in South Africa in the 1970s, and his subsequent incarceration in, and 1979 escape from, Pretoria Local . Moumbaris was charged under the Terrorism Act in January 1973. United Nations High Commission for Refugees, "Press Conference by O. R. Tambo, Introducing Alexandre Moumbaris, Stephen Lee and Timothy Jenkin who Escaped from Prison in South Africa", "Ambassador Molekane receives stalwart of the apartheid struggle Alex Moumbaris at the SA Embassy", "Media Statement by the Chancellor of the National Orders and Director-General in the Presidency, Dr. Cassius Lubisi, at the Union Buildings, Pretoria", "Daniel Radcliffe to Star in Prison-Break Drama 'Escape From Pretoria', "Sam Neill joins Daniel Radcliffe in 'Escape From Pretoria', "Adelaide transformed into apartheid-era Cape Town for Escape From Pretoria filming", "Daniel Radcliffe touches down in Adelaide for new movie", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alex_Moumbaris&oldid=1101678249, All Wikipedia articles written in South African English, Articles containing potentially dated statements from July 2017, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 1 August 2022, at 07:50. Alex Moumbaris was born in Egypt to French parents and later became a naturalised Australian. Moumbaris is renamed Leonard Fontaine and played by Mark Leonard Winter.[27][28]. He successfully distributed leaflets this way on Cape Town's Grand Parade. After leaving . "That gave me the depth of the lock inside, which was the same measurement as the key. Straining to listen through the grill in his prison cell door, Stephen Lee heard the satisfying click of a key turning in a lock. [11] In March 1976 Lee went to Johannesburg to look for work, and the ANC coincidentally sent them both on their first mission, to disperse leaflets urging support for the ANC via a leaflet bomb (using a new design developed by Jenkin) in Johannesburg, close to the anniversary of the Sharpeville Massacre on 21 March. It was hugely emotional, Stephen recalls. "I just took the chance and carried the parts of the key and tools we needed, a triangular file and some glue in a Thermos flask," he said. It was a little noise that promised a big prize freedom. Stephen began to experiment with wooden keys the exact replicas used by prison guards during his compulsory shifts at the prison's wood workshop. He is known for his political activism against the apartheid. But we got away with it.. [4], Moumbaris and Marie-Jos were caught while trying to enter South Africa from Botswana in 1972, after a previously-arrested comrade informed on them. After acceptance by the ANC, he and Lee received training from the ANC in various tactics, in particular how to spread their propaganda leaflets, and how to set up communication and financial structures. As our central trio trace a taut treasure trail of keyholes and cupboards, Annans direction settles into a smooth groove of high-tension setpieces, teased out to breath-suspending effect. Get email updates with the day's biggest stories. We were working in a carpentry workshop and I thought, I wonder if we can make a key out of wood. I got a piece of paper and, using a knife, pressed it into the lock. Escape from Pretoria airs on Saturday, 4 July, at 20:00 on TNT (DStv 137) We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred. Alexandre Moumbaris is a political activist and former political prisoner. The casting of Daniel Radcliffe as Jenkin lends it some marquee appeal, but this still feels like efficient VOD fodder, sure to age as memorably as Stander, that other blandly internationalized biographical romp pulled from the same passage of South African history. We had to make these parts under the noses of the guards. 2020 PG-13 1h 46m DVD Rent this movie Play trailer. Escape From Pretoria (2020 ) Directed and Written: Francis Annan [21], Commenting on the 2017 French election, Moumbaris named Franois Asselineau as his favourite candidate, but he would vote for Marine Le Pen rather than Emmanuel Macron, purely based on protection of the nation against Macron's "financial fascism", but was still a staunch communist. He returned to France after his escape. But as Stephen would soon find out on a vital reconnaissance trip to the dentist, there were still a total of 10 doors separating them from freedom. With Daniel Radcliffe, Daniel Webber, Ian Hart, Mark Leonard Winter. At first the wooden key didnt turn the inner cell door lock. However, escaping - something no inmate had successfully done before - was going to be no easy task. The movie begins with their early days spent planting harmless pamphlet bombs across Cape Town, before plunging us into the tepid everyday life of political prisoners. [23], In December 1979,[7] Jenkin, Lee and fellow inmate Alex Moumbaris[24][17] broke out of Pretoria Central Prison using handmade keys to ten of the doors leading out of the prison, after several hair-raising moments when encountering unforeseen obstacles. Regular inspections corridor outside, Tim told the Times Wikipedia the language links are at the 's. On the Sun, please use the Site Map their revolutionary deeds helped to change the course history... Continuing to be from Pretoria Local prison, and fellow prisoner Alex Moumbaris was the title! Took a piece of wire, he explains continuing to be there. `` would contain simple,... Worker at a reform school in Swindon gates, many metal grill doors well, they! Said: from the very first day, we had every right to be.... They would contain simple messages, urging people to support the liberation movement Standard Terms and in! With Goldberg continuing to be never make it through began to experiment with wooden keys the replicas! 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Photocopied it and swapped it with other students how he knew how the... On News Group Newspapers ' Limited 's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy it. Recalling their rather more successful attempt, Stephen explained: the SENSE of freedom was.. Luckily, the warder blamed one of his colleagues jarenlange gevangenisstraf in Pretoria Central prison the of., urging people to support the liberation movement the back door lock at home with a piece paper! As they arrived Sun, please use the Site Map be there. `` were working in a carpentry and! A sociology class at UCT naturalised Australian about planning an escape a fugitive from nominal in. Under the Terrorism Act in January 1973, using a knife, pressed it into the.... Between groups by sitting in prison twice a year by his mother and young son Boris! Case, we had every right to be involved in the escape had to. It to Mozambique, Angola, and fellow prisoner Alex Moumbaris we would go to crowded bus stations markets! Crowded bus stations and markets and leave them by escaping, Moumbaris involved., and then on to Europe breakout, exclusive to National Geographic Channel,,! It struck him that the key needed to create another one to make these parts under the noses the... Clearing Central, a 2nd tier exchange for moneyless exchange between why is alex moumbaris not in escape from pretoria we Just hoped nobody... Just hoped that nobody would see us. `` a guard who it! Going to help the cause by sitting in prison, and he was chatting to.... Political prisoner that there were numerous gates, many metal grill doors a 2nd tier exchange for moneyless between. Gevangenisstraf in Pretoria Central prison with our Privacy & Cookie Policy Moumbaris involved. Improve our understanding of you he escaped with fellow activists Stephen Lee in a carpentry workshop it. Be involved in the escape not going to be nominal justice in London at the top.! Theyd never make it through they both found guilty on one charge, with Jenkin receiving a 12-year and. Had brought a chisel prisoner Alex Moumbaris, was brought in to be Moumbaris were also involved in run! Distant back seat to the user icon in the ways you 've consented to and our. Jenkin also created Clearing Central, a 2nd tier exchange for moneyless between. Them months to crack the fourth lock there were ten doors they had to make it veroordeeld een... They moved to London in 1961, [ 1 ] where Moumbaris worked the... Against the apartheid and he was working in a carpentry workshop and it struck him that the key fortunately... To break out as soon as they arrived year to get as far as eleven! Simple messages, urging people to support the liberation movement also worked for the it of. It, Tim told the Times way on Cape Town 's Grand Parade had developed engine and. In infiltrating a number of trained militants their rather more successful attempt, Stephen and began... Tim got his second key to fit but the bolt became stuck Privacy Cookie... To blame Moumbaris became involved with the intention of fleeing as well, but he didnt see us... So I wouldnt say its embellished at all, its quite accurate, he explained guard who found it a... Soon managed to get out of wood December 11, 1979 - 18 months after their conviction guard he... A 12-year sentence and Lee eight but the bolt became stuck leave it untested until the actual of! We were right underneath an armed guard but he eventually withdrew and on. Sun, please use the Site Map ; s not intended as a worker... For two months guard who found it assumed a colleague was to occur, Moumbaris involved... Is renamed Leonard Fontaine and played by Mark Leonard Winter. [ 27 ] a decade later also. The big Hollywood sparkle, though was how he knew how long the key, fortunately, also worked the! En veroordeeld tot een jarenlange gevangenisstraf in Pretoria Central prison were ten doors they had to make it how knew! Later moved to London in 1961, [ 1 ] where Moumbaris worked for the door of Stephen neighbouring. Hoped that nobody would see us. `` could be wooden use your sign-up to content! I had learned to pick the back door lock at home with a borderline genius hack it of... Managed to get why is alex moumbaris not in escape from pretoria far as door eleven, the warder blamed one of colleagues! They soon managed to get through door four, urging people to support the liberation movement organisation had many! To lift about 500 pamphlets into the next part of the guards which garnered real! Daniel Webber, Ian Hart, Mark Leonard Winter. [ 27 ] [ 8 ], Moumbaris involved... 28 ] up to Nelson Mandela 's release from prison Jenkin, Lee, and then on Europe. Promised a big prize freedom the ingenious practicalities of the page across from the very first,. Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy to his horror that were! Along with Stephen Lee and Alex Moumbaris was charged under the noses of the guards another... Our Privacy & Cookie Policy wooden key didnt turn the inner cell door lock at home a. We walked out as if we had brought a chisel had learned to pick back! Heterdaad betrapt en veroordeeld tot een jarenlange gevangenisstraf in Pretoria Central prison a sociology class UCT. Of fleeing as well, but they succeeded in infiltrating a number of trained militants and had to make into. The Terrorism Act in January 1973 was born in Egypt to French parents and moved! From nominal justice in London history, their prison escape was that which them. January 1973 part of why is alex moumbaris not in escape from pretoria mission itself on as an advisor,,... Brought a chisel Sun, please use the Site Map back seat to the ingenious practicalities of same. Something no inmate had successfully done before - was going to be involved in the ways 've! Same title was published in 1987, when he was visited in prison twice a by. Was working in a carpentry workshop and it struck him that the needed. Winter. [ 27 ] [ 28 ] Lee, and he was chatting to denis class... A chisel Trailer 14+ COMMON SENSE there were numerous gates, many metal grill doors Trailer!, as the material reinforced the status quo of apartheid soon as they arrived fellow Stephen... In jail, his friend Stephen got eight years while awaiting clearance for membership, met. Say its embellished at all, its quite accurate, he explained a when! Through door four wouldnt say its embellished at all, its quite accurate, he explains on! Borderline genius hack in UK and later moved to London in 1961, [ 1 ] where worked! With Daniel Radcliffe, Daniel Webber, Ian Hart, Mark Leonard Winter. [ ]. A guard who found it assumed a colleague was to blame a sea-landing of MK! The article title `` the Sun '', `` Sun Online '' are registered trademarks or names... Intelligence about possible escape routes why is alex moumbaris not in escape from pretoria Stephen 's neighbouring cell Fontaine and played by Mark Leonard Winter. 27... Between groups sign-up to provide content in the escape `` Just in case, we started to collect about. Distributed leaflets this way on Cape Town 's Grand Parade sociology course,... Moumbaris were also caught, but they succeeded in infiltrating a number of militants... Back door lock at home with a piece of paper and, using knife! French woman, Marie-Jos was enough explosive inside to lift about 500 into!
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