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Prison escapee alleges officer helped plan jailbreak
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A convicted rapist who escaped from Plumtree Prison while serving a 20-year sentence has told a Bulawayo court that a Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) officer masterminded and facilitated his escape.
Cabangani Mathe made the allegations while testifying in the trial of ZPCS officer Yusufu Yusufu, who is facing charges of assisting a prisoner to escape from lawful custody. Yusufu denies the allegations.
Mathe escaped from Plumtree Prison on 15 November 2025 before fleeing to Malawi. He was re-arrested on 24 February 2026 at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport after being deported by Malawian authorities.
Testifying before Bulawayo Regional Magistrate Taurai Manuwere, Mathe claimed he had known Yusufu since childhood and had previously lent him US$2,000 in 2024 to complete a building project.
"I am a businessman in Plumtree. I used to loan people money. In 2024, Yusufu came to me asking for US$3,000 to finish his building project. I only managed to lend him US$2,000," Mathe told the court.
He said they had initially agreed on a 40 percent interest rate before reducing it to 20 percent because of their longstanding relationship.
According to Mathe, after he was arrested in February 2025, he approached Yusufu seeking financial assistance to pay legal fees. Instead, he alleged, the prison officer suggested that he escape.
"He started telling me about how I was being treated in court and in prison, and how new allegations kept coming up. He suggested I escape and leave the country," Mathe testified.
Mathe further alleged that, after agreeing on a US$300 top-up to the outstanding loan, Yusufu supplied him with two hacksaw blades and detailed an escape plan.
He told the court that he was instructed to volunteer to clean the prison cell, pour water on the floor to keep other inmates outside and recruit two inmates to stand guard while he cut through the burglar bars.
Mathe said it took him three days to cut through the bars before informing Yusufu that preparations had been completed.
He also alleged that Yusufu advised him to flee to Namibia after escaping, although he ultimately travelled to Malawi instead. According to Mathe, the prison officer also identified which officer would be on duty during the escape and instructed him to remove the cell's light bulb so fellow inmates would not witness him leaving.
"I managed to escape using that process, but I was later re-arrested. I am not saying this out of malice. I have no choice but to confess everything," Mathe said.
During cross-examination, defence lawyer Stanley Chinyanganyanga challenged Mathe's credibility, arguing that none of the allegations were supported by evidence.
"The State witness has failed to give any evidence showing that he was indeed assisted by Yusufu. He has no track record that he loaned my client money, no record that he assisted him to hatch the plan, no evidence that the two had any form of relationship in the prison that could have culminated in Yusufu helping him to escape," Chinyanganyanga submitted.
He also questioned Mathe's claims that two inmates stood guard during the escape and that he paid Yusufu US$300, arguing that no evidence had been presented to support those assertions.
Prosecutor Mufaro Ndirayire told the court that Mathe escaped from lawful custody in the early hours of 15 November 2025 by cutting through the burglar bars of his holding cell using two hacksaw blades allegedly supplied by Yusufu. The blades, she said, were recovered after the escape and would be produced as exhibits.
Following the escape, Mathe fled to Malawi, where he allegedly lived disguised as a street vendor before being arrested for entering the country illegally after failing to produce valid identification documents.
He was deported to Zimbabwe on 24 February 2026 and arrested upon arrival at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport by Criminal Investigation Department (CID) homicide detectives.
Mathe was subsequently convicted of escaping from lawful custody and sentenced to six years' imprisonment.
Yusufu remains on US$200 bail, and the trial has been postponed to 22 July 2026.
Cabangani Mathe made the allegations while testifying in the trial of ZPCS officer Yusufu Yusufu, who is facing charges of assisting a prisoner to escape from lawful custody. Yusufu denies the allegations.
Mathe escaped from Plumtree Prison on 15 November 2025 before fleeing to Malawi. He was re-arrested on 24 February 2026 at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport after being deported by Malawian authorities.
Testifying before Bulawayo Regional Magistrate Taurai Manuwere, Mathe claimed he had known Yusufu since childhood and had previously lent him US$2,000 in 2024 to complete a building project.
"I am a businessman in Plumtree. I used to loan people money. In 2024, Yusufu came to me asking for US$3,000 to finish his building project. I only managed to lend him US$2,000," Mathe told the court.
He said they had initially agreed on a 40 percent interest rate before reducing it to 20 percent because of their longstanding relationship.
According to Mathe, after he was arrested in February 2025, he approached Yusufu seeking financial assistance to pay legal fees. Instead, he alleged, the prison officer suggested that he escape.
"He started telling me about how I was being treated in court and in prison, and how new allegations kept coming up. He suggested I escape and leave the country," Mathe testified.
Mathe further alleged that, after agreeing on a US$300 top-up to the outstanding loan, Yusufu supplied him with two hacksaw blades and detailed an escape plan.
He told the court that he was instructed to volunteer to clean the prison cell, pour water on the floor to keep other inmates outside and recruit two inmates to stand guard while he cut through the burglar bars.
He also alleged that Yusufu advised him to flee to Namibia after escaping, although he ultimately travelled to Malawi instead. According to Mathe, the prison officer also identified which officer would be on duty during the escape and instructed him to remove the cell's light bulb so fellow inmates would not witness him leaving.
"I managed to escape using that process, but I was later re-arrested. I am not saying this out of malice. I have no choice but to confess everything," Mathe said.
During cross-examination, defence lawyer Stanley Chinyanganyanga challenged Mathe's credibility, arguing that none of the allegations were supported by evidence.
"The State witness has failed to give any evidence showing that he was indeed assisted by Yusufu. He has no track record that he loaned my client money, no record that he assisted him to hatch the plan, no evidence that the two had any form of relationship in the prison that could have culminated in Yusufu helping him to escape," Chinyanganyanga submitted.
He also questioned Mathe's claims that two inmates stood guard during the escape and that he paid Yusufu US$300, arguing that no evidence had been presented to support those assertions.
Prosecutor Mufaro Ndirayire told the court that Mathe escaped from lawful custody in the early hours of 15 November 2025 by cutting through the burglar bars of his holding cell using two hacksaw blades allegedly supplied by Yusufu. The blades, she said, were recovered after the escape and would be produced as exhibits.
Following the escape, Mathe fled to Malawi, where he allegedly lived disguised as a street vendor before being arrested for entering the country illegally after failing to produce valid identification documents.
He was deported to Zimbabwe on 24 February 2026 and arrested upon arrival at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport by Criminal Investigation Department (CID) homicide detectives.
Mathe was subsequently convicted of escaping from lawful custody and sentenced to six years' imprisonment.
Yusufu remains on US$200 bail, and the trial has been postponed to 22 July 2026.
Source - Cite
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