Thieving cop and rapist traditional healer escape from jail

A COP who allegedly broke into colleagues' houses and stole assortment of goods and a self-proclaimed inyanga who was recently jailed for rape, have escaped from Hwange Prison.

Maxwell Musariri, a constable and Masimpe Muleya, the self-proclaimed inyanga, allegedly used a piece of steel from a combat boot to drill a hole on a wooden section of the prison cell wall before making good their escape.

Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) assistant principal correctional officer who is also the public relations officer for Matabeleland North Gareth Nkomo said Musariri and Muleya who are both aged 28 escaped on Thursday. "I can confirm that two inmates escaped from Hwange Prison yesterday and investigations are still underway to establish how they escaped," he said.

Musariri, who lived at number 1559 DRC in Hwange is facing 12 counts of unlawful entry and theft.

He was remanded in custody to December 12 by Hwange magistrate Ms Barbara Phiri. Musariri allegedly broke into houses of six of his colleagues at Hwange Police Station and Empumalanga suburb and stole a laptop, a TV set, a DSTV decoder, car batteries, cellphones and other such gadgets.

He allegedly sold some of the property in Hwange, Victoria Falls, Gweru, Masvingo and at his rural home in Chirumhanzu in the Midlands province.

Following reports of the thefts at Hwange Police Station Camp, police conducted investigations leading to the arrest of Musariri and recovery of some of the stolen property. Muleya is an ex-convict who once served a jail term for unlawful entry in Binga. He was last week sentenced to 18 years in jail for raping an 18-year-old girl in Lusulu, Binga, sometime in February last year.

Muleya who moved around carrying a bag containing a knobkerrie, okapi knife and snuff box which he used to intimidate victims before sexually abusing them, had before the rape conviction, been convicted of attempting to rape another girl in Binga in February this year and senteced to 30 months in prison.

Muleya who evaded arrest for almost a year after raping his first victim, was only arrested this year after attempting to rape his second victim. Muleya was waiting to be transferred to Khami Maximum Prison in Bulawayo when he escaped.