Prison escapee blames spirits

24 Jul, 2016 - 00:07 0 Views

The Sunday News

Fairness Moyana Hwange Correspondent
AN armed robber who escaped while doing prison labour at a residential stand in Hwange stunned the courts when he claimed he got possessed by a spirit that instructed him to go and see his son whom he had last seen a year ago.

Mhlupeki Ncube (27) of Jambezi area who is serving a three-year prison term for armed robbery at Hwange Prison was doing prison labour with other inmates at a residential stand in Empulamanga Township when he escaped from the prison wardens after he had been excused to relieve himself.

He was lucky to receive a $100 fine or 10 weeks imprisonment after she told provincial magistrate Miss Sharon Rosemani that he felt a strong urge to go and see his son whom he last saw when he was three months old.

“Your worship, I’m not sure what got into me but the feeling came after I remembered my child who I had last seen a year ago at the age of three months.

“For reasons I do not understand I missed him a lot and wanted to go and see him. The next thing I had a feeling which I suspect was a spirit that took over and I fled the prison guards.

“May this court forgive me for I acted in a stupid way,” pleaded Ncube.

The court heard through the prosecutor Miss Loveness Maseko that on 13 July at around 9am Ncube was working at a residential stand behind Chilisa Secondary School in Empumalanga, Hwange with other inmates while under guard.

He asked for permission to go and relieve himself together with a fellow inmate, Liphosi Sibanda.

After three minutes Sibanda returned after relieving himself leaving Ncube who was visible from a distance of about 30 metres behind.

All of a sudden Ncube who was now heading back seemed to have a change of heart and bolted further into the bush.

The prison officers who had enlisted the help of the other inmates tried to give chase after Ncube but failed to catch him.

He was, however, apprehended five hours later in Chachachunda village, 30km from Hwange Prison as he tried to make his way to his home area.

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