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Fungai Lupande Court Reporter
Two of the four prisoners who escaped from Chikurubi Farm Prison early this month after attacking and stripping a prison guard naked were yesterday slapped with a one-year jail term each.Success Chavhakaipa (32) and Nelson Mlambo (21) pleaded guilty to charges of escaping from lawful custody. They appeared before Harare magistrate Ms Vongai Muchuchuti, who sentenced the pair to 12 months each.

In passing sentence Ms Muchuchuti considered that the pair was tortured by prison officers after being apprehended.

“The assault was another form of punishment although it is unlawful,” she said.

Ms Muchuchuti ordered Zimbabwe Prison and Correctional Services officials to ensure that the pair gets medical treatment.

In aggravation, prosecutor Mr Desire Chidanire urged the court to impose a custodial sentence.

“Community service is not good enough for the pair. They ran away from prison, what more at community service? The offence was premeditated and a prison term would be a lesson to would-be offenders,” he said. The complainant in the matter is Chikurubi Farm Prison represented by its prison officer Mr Prosper Guni. Mr Chidanire told the court that Chavhakaipa and Mlambo are serving at Chikuribi Farm Prison for a motor vehicle theft offence.

The court heard that on August 4 this year around 7am, Guni booked Chavhakaipa and Mlambo together with two others to cut down trees at Chikurubi Farm.

While the four were busy cutting down trees, one of them grabbed Guni by the neck and three others joined in. They tied Guni’s legs and arms and threatened to kill him if he screamed. The quartet undressed Guni and threw his uniform in the bush. They gagged his mouth with a piece of cloth before escaping.

Other prison officers rushed to the scene and chased the quartet. Chavhakaira and Mlambo were caught hiding in the bush with Chavhakaira already clad in Guni’s uniform. The pair were taken to Chikurubi Farm Prison while the other two are still at large.