An inmate at Mutare Farm Prison was yesterday sentenced to 12 months for escaping from lawful custody. BY KENNETH NYANGANI Forgive Zimunya appeared before Mutare magistrate Notebulgah Muchineripi charged with escaping from lawful custody. Prosecutor Chris Munyuku told the court that Zimunya was initially serving time for theft. Zimunya escaped from prison when he was left with only three days on his seven-month sentence. It is the State case that on November 2019 and at Mutare Farm Prison at around 10:30am, correctional officer Thomas Gwiza was on duty and went to clear a bush outside the prison fence with six inmates. They started a fire to make breakfast and told the convict to monitor it while others continued with the task. When they were about eight metres away from the fire, they discovered that the convict was no longer in sight. They searched and called out for him to no avail. Gwiza and other officers went to look for the convict in Zimunya, his home area, and advised the family to inform authorities if he turned up at home. Zimunya was arrested following a tip-off from family members.
