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Geraldine Zaranyika Herald Reporter
A group of faithful prisoners from Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison assisted a prison officer in chasing after and apprehending two inmates who had escaped during their daily chores.

There was drama when the two prisoners were spotted along Mutoko Road by the officer and his group of prisoners while they were on their way from another assignment and started running away.

The group then gave chase alongside a prison officer and apprehended the two, about 500 metres away.

The escapees, John Penzura (38) and Peter Enock Muzanenhamo (34) were yesterday jailed nine months each by Harare magistrate Mr Edwin Marecha.

Mr Marecha had initially sentenced the two to 12 months in prison before suspending three months on condition that they do not commit similar offences within five years.

He said inmates were assigned to work at the prison farm, but hatched a plan to escape.

The two even changed clothes as a disguise. Penzura is serving a four-year jail term for indecent assault, while Muzanenhamo is serving five years for robbery.

It is the State’s case that on February 7, at around 11.15 am, a prison officer was on duty guarding Penzura and Muzanenhamo and other inmates who were doing their daily chores of cleaning in the camp, when Penzura and Muzanenhamo separated themselves from the other inmates, changed their clothes and ran away.

Efforts to locate the two were fruitless.

Penzura and Muzanenhamo were spotted along Mutoko Road by prison officer Tatenda Mudzinganyama, who was on his way from another assignment with other prisoners.