Ninth Prison Escapee Nabbed In Zimbabwe
Chakalisa Dube | Monday February 13, 2017 16:30
Another escapee, Zimbabwean, Thabani Ncube who is wanted for murder in Botswana, was also arrested in Zimbabwe last month. He is also facing a theft charge in his home country.
Chaloba escaped, together with 17 others, escaped from lawful custody at Gerald Estates Centre for Illegal Immigrants, while he was waiting to be trialed for being found with suspected stolen property. Chaloba, who hails from Kutamogoree, a small village in the Tutume sub-district. He is the second Motswana escapee to be arrested. In all, three Batswana escaped from custody while the other 15 jail-breakers hailed from Zimbabwe.
Sources have indicated that the Kutamogoree man was initially traced by police around the Tutume area. He reportedly shrugged off the arrest and fled to Zimbabwe through an ungazetted point around the Maitengwe border.
“We have since engaged Zimbabwean authorities to assist us extradite Chaloba,” said the department of prisons spokesperson, Wamorena Ramolefhe.
Ramolefhe also confirmed that Chaloba was initially spotted in Botswana, but did not reveal why the police failed to arrest him then, saying that he only had scanty details.
Chaloba may be charged with the offence of entering Zimbabwe through an ungazetted point before he is brought to Botswana. Chaloba’s arrest brings the number of recaptured prisoners to nine. One of the recaptured escapees Charlotte Ndlovu died at Nyangabwe Referral Hospital (NRH) just days after he was nabbed. Ndlovu, whose body was recently repatriated to his home country Zimbabwe, was supposed to stand trial for murder in Botswana.
Chakalani Barati, Musa Willy, Elvis Ndlovu, Dzikhamani Ndebele, Innocent Nyoni, Edwin Ncube, Sunganai Tafiraushe, Brilliant Thabisani and Bruce Masuku are the escapees who are yet to be arrested. The police have so far managed to arrest Chaloba, Mlindeli Moyo, Mthokozisi Sibanda, Sicelo Sibanda, Goodwin Mapunganyika, Rowland Moyo, Gaomodimo Molisiwa and Ndlovu.
Most escapees face serious offences of murder and robbery. The police recently said that it was proving difficult to substantiate leads that could result in the arrest of more escapees.