Mpumalanga Safety and Security, MEC Siphosezwe Masango urged the South African Police Service (SAPS) and other law-enforcement agencies to exercise utmost care when transporting or dealing with suspects.
Masango was responding to the incident where a suspect escaped from custody while the police were taking him from Nelspruit Correctional Facilities to the Komatipoort Periodical Court on Tuesday.
The suspect, Shadrack Ndzukula, was due to appear in court on three counts of murder, attempted murder and armed robbery which took place between 2007 and 2008.
Masango has complained that there has been numerous incidents of escapes even from correctional facilities in the province.
The MEC said the laxity on the part of some law enforcement agencies does not only endanger the lives of the police but innocent lives could also be lost.
He appealed to the police to ensure that the suspect is re-arrested as soon as possible as the nature of charges brought against him suggests that he poses serious danger to innocent law abiding citizens of our country.
"Such incidents have the potential to dent the good work of the police and also demoralize those brave officers who arrested him in the first place", said Masango.
"This also prompts the communities to complain that criminals are arrested and released without being prosecuted. We have heard similar complaints in many community meetings we have attended," complained the MEC.
Masango appealed to community members to assist the police to bring the suspect back to book so that all pending cases against him are finalized.