Prison break foiled

THE Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services foiled an escape bid in which an estimated 20 inmates - among them dangerous murder, armed robbery and rape suspects - had planned with the help of an alleged rogue prison officer to break out of Mutare Remand Prison last month.

Had it not been for the department’s intelligence organs that busted the planned break-out a few days before execution, dangerous suspects could have tasted freedom.

The planned escape was allegedly masterminded by two inmates, Dhiniwe Mabaya Bande and Tinashe Ivory Tsenesa.

ZPCS Manicaland public relations officer, Principal Prison Officer Liberty Mhlanga confirmed the case.

“Yes, we are investigating a planned escape alleged to have been masterminded by two inmates, Dhiniwe Mabaya Bande and Tinashe Ivory Tsenesa at Mutare Remand Prison. The plan to escape was busted by our intelligence organs on the ground before it matured. We are expecting to conclude our investigations by March 2017,” he said.

PPO Mhlanga could not be drawn to shed more light on the case as it is still under investigations.

However, sources privy to the case revealed that the inmates who were in a cell without a concrete roof planned to escape through the roof with the assistance of a prison officer who demanded $1 000 for his services.

“For helping them escape, the prison officer demanded $1 000. He provided them with the best possible escape routes and had also organised a vehicle to ferry the inmates once they were out. That vehicle was supposed to transport the fugitives to Masvingo where they were to be dropped and go separate ways.

“The plan did not work out because information leaked before they could execute the breakout. Bande and Tsenesa who knew each other were the brains behind the escape. They roped in other inmates into the plan because it was not possible for them to escape alone,” said the source.

Bande (32) from Chimanimani who was on the run was arrested last year on allegations of committing a series of crimes after detectives tracked him down through his mobile phone.

He, together with an accomplice who is still at large, raped, robbed and attempted to murder a woman. Bande is awaiting trial at the courts. He made the headlines in 2016 following the March 7 incident in which he called a complainant on her mobile phone using his cell number.

He told the woman that he was selling some diamonds and after making several calls they agreed to meet at Kurauone Primary School in Marange.

At around 1am the following day (March 7, 2016), the complainant hired a taxi which belonged to Onismo Magigwana and upon arrival at Kurauone Primary School, they waited for Bande who later arrived in the company of one Trymore, who is still at large.

Bande and his accomplice then attacked the woman and the taxi driver. He is alleged to have fired a shot from a pistol he was holding and hit the driver, while his accomplice sprayed some pepper to the woman’s face. They then demanded cash from the complainants and later dragged the female complainant from the vehicle. The pair allegedly took turns to rape her.

They grabbed her handbag which contained $950, a Nokia Asher cellphone, an identity card and disappeared into darkness.

Tsenesa is awaiting trial for unlawful entry charges.