Whinsley Masara, Chronicle Reporter
AN inmate who escaped from Tsholotsho Prison has been re-arrested after villagers apprehended him at his sister’s home in Nyamandlovu.
Champion Sibanda (19) of Village 3 in Nyamandlovu had been jailed for 36 months for unlawful entry and theft and was due to be released in November 2018.
He escaped from prison last week on Thursday.
Villagers ambushed him on Sunday following a tip-off from his sister and handed him over to the police.
Chief Deli said Sibanda was sold out by his sister.
“His sister informed other villagers that Sibanda was back at her home and was hiding. Sibanda’s sister had been warned earlier by police not to hide the culprit if ever he came to seek refuge at her home. Upon his arrival at his sister’s home in village 2, she notified neighbours who engaged others and they ambushed him at night,” he said.
The chief said the inmate was sent back to prison.
“Bad apples should be removed from good ones and criminals should be uprooted from society.
“When villagers caught him, they called police to come and pick him up and he was taken to Tsholotsho police station where he was sent back to prison,” he said.
A source close to investigations said Sibanda escaped while he was working outside the prison with nine other inmates.
“Ten inmates were working in the prison’s field which is about a kilometre away from the prison. The inmates were under the guard of two male prison officers when Sibanda fled,” he said.
“It is suspected he walked to Nyamandlovu through the bush.”
@winnie-masara