Chikurubi prison escapee rearrested while sleeping...

Chikurubi prison escapee rearrested while sleeping at his house

Zim Now Writer

An escapee from Chikurubi Farm Prison, Panashe Chinyama, 24, was arrested around 1am at the weekend by members of the Special Tactics Unit while sleeping at his house in Whitecliff, Harare following a tip-off.

Chinyama, who escaped last Wednesday while working on a nursery at the prison, was serving one year after being convicted for malicious damage to property.

He was a Class B inmate who had served eight months of his sentence and was due to be released on March 28 next year.

Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS) spokesperson, Chief Superintendent Meya Khanyezi confirmed that Chinyama was now in custody and was likely to be charged for escaping from lawful custody.

“The ‘B’ class inmate who escaped from lawful custody on 7 December was recaptured by the Special Tactics team around 1am. “We got information from a responsible and loyal citizen of Zimbabwe that the escapee had been seen at his home in Whitecliff area and was likely to be sleeping in his room,” she said.

About 116 inmates had escaped from the country’s correctional facilities between January 2021 and October this year, according to ZPCS.

B class inmates contributed the largest chunk of prison escapes as they are allowed to be outside for work duties while serving their terms with Chief Supt Khanyezi, saying Harare Central and Chikurubi Farm prisons had high incidences of prison escapes.

“In 2021, 64 inmates escaped from our prisons and 52 inmates in 2022 up to October, making a total of 116. Harare Central and Chikurubi Farm prisons have a high incidence of escapes since these stations have more B class inmates, who go out of prison to work.

“Police, however, recaptured 40 escapees during the same period. After escaping, the 40 inmates were recaptured — 18 in 2021 and 22 in 2022,” added Chief Supt Khanyezi.

In order to avert prison breaks in the future, ZPCS is installing closed-circuit television (CCTV) systems at maximum security prisons, arming its officers and reinforcing its canine section.