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An escaped prisoner who admitted multiple murders and cannibalism has been captured after being found playing in a church band.

Makhele Scott said he killed two people and ate them in South Africa and was awaiting trial when he broke out of Maseru Central Prison in Lesotho.

After a massive two-year manhunt involving multiple law enforcement agencies, Scott was found playing in a church band outside Durban.

"He was very surprised when approached," police said in a statement.

Scott had previously admitted to killing and eating a 13-year-old boy who was reported missing in January 2012.

Seven months later a 22-year-old also went missing from the same village.

"Police responded to a tip-off and at the house discovered a Corsa bakkie (pickup truck) in which two human arms, a leg, penis and testicles were found," the police statement read.

When pushed, Scott went on to confess to both killings as well as to cooking and eating body parts.

Scott appeared in court on Thursday where he was denied bail.