Online Reporter
Mthabisi Tshuma and Ronald Mpofu
CONVICTED rapist and suspected murderer Cabangani “Mike” Mathe has pulled off a dramatic escape from Plumtree Prison after allegedly cutting through burglar bars with a hacksaw blade in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Mathe (38) reportedly sliced open the window at around 2AM, slid out, and vanished into the night while other inmates watched in shock.
Security teams launched an immediate manhunt, but Mathe had already melted into the darkness. He has not been seen since.
Mathe was serving a 20 year sentence for rape, handed down on 29 August. He was also awaiting trial for murder, sodomy and another rape case at the Regional Court.
ZRP referred all questions to the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services, who have not issued an official statement since the breakout.
Panic has gripped Plumtree, Bulilima and Mangwe communities as residents fear the return of a man long regarded as a ruthless and dangerous figure.
For years, Mathe allegedly roamed Plumtree like an untouchable kingpin. He ran businesses, flaunted wealth, and, according to multiple allegations, terrorised women while bragging that police could never arrest him.
Victims were said to be too afraid to report him. Others who tried were allegedly intimidated or silenced, with cases mysteriously collapsing.
His downfall began on 29 August when Plumtree magistrate Dambudzo Malunga sentenced him to 20 years for a brutal attack on his female employee. Court papers outline chilling details.
On 16 October 2024, Mathe allegedly forced the woman into his car, drove her to a remote spot and ordered her into an icy water tank. When she begged for mercy, he allegedly dunked her head underwater repeatedly until she passed out. He then drove her home, forced her to change clothes and later raped her at his house before ordering her to report for work at 6AM as if nothing had happened.
His escape has revived fears over his other pending cases, including the notorious “Judas Cop” saga. In that matter, rogue officer Thembani Mukanyani is accused of removing a woman from protective custody and handing her over to Mathe. The woman was later smuggled to Botswana where she was allegedly murdered.
Mathe also faces charges of abusing a minor who worked at one of his shops and another case where he allegedly tied a woman with handcuffs, beat her and forced her underwater while stepping on her back.
For years, many believed his claims that powerful friends protected him. Now that he is on the run, the fear has returned.
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