The minister of Correctional Services, Doctor Pieter Groenewald, and members of Parliament's portfolio committee are at loggerheads over the legal status of the full absorption of former G4S staffers into the Grootvlei Maximum Correctional facility in Mangaung. The department took over the facility in July this year. The 25 year old contract of the Public Private Partnership came to an end after the daring escape of an inmate, Thabo Bester. Former G4S staffers have taken the department to court for not absorbing all staff. A Labour court ruling in May ruled that the department should take on board the former employees, but the department says it plans to appeal this to the highest court because of the far reaching consequences. The department - including Groenewald - was not aware that their application for leave to appeal has been dismissed earlier today. Zalene Merrington reports...