Online Reporter
Dalyn Chigwizura
A CONVICTED rapist serving time at Khami Maximum Prison has been slapped with another 15-year sentence after being found guilty of sodomising his cellmate, in a chilling overnight assault that shocked prison authorities.
Thabani Mhlanga (22) from Esigodini, was sentenced by Western Commonage regional magistrate Sibongile Marondedze after being convicted of indecent assault. Mhlanga, already serving a 15-year sentence for rape, now faces another 15 years behind bars for attacking a fellow inmate in his sleep.
He tried to buy the victim’s silence by giving him a blanket ‘‘to keep him warm at night” and even feigned memory loss when the case was brought before the courts.
Prosecutor Samantha Gubede told the court that the incident took place inside a shared cell at Khami Maximum Prison. Mhlanga’s victim, a 24-year-old inmate, testified that he was fast asleep beside Mhlanga when he felt “unusual heat” on his buttocks. He woke up to a nightmarish discovery — Mhlanga’s manhood had used the backdoor to enter him.
The complainant said he immediately confronted Mhlanga, who remained silent. He ran to report the abuse to the cell leader, Charm Kunene.
Testifying in court, Kunene said he was woken up by the complainant in the middle of the night. The cell leader said when he confronted Mhlanga, the accused pulled a blanket over his head and kept silent. Kunene also saw semen on the complainant’s hands and on Mhlanga’s blankets. The court heard that Mhlanga begged for forgiveness and tried to bribe his victim with a blanket as “compensation,” which was refused.
Kunene said the next morning, he informed prison guards about the incident, and a report was made to the police.
Investigating officer Milos Nyamubachoto, told the court that he visited the prison and confirmed that the two inmates shared a sleeping space. A medical examination confirmed bruises and clear signs of forced penetration.
Mhlanga, who had tried to deny the incident by claiming memory loss, was convicted and sentenced to 15 more years, bringing his total jail time to 30 years.
The brutal incident has raised serious concerns over inmate safety in maximum-security prisons, with activists calling for increased monitoring and protection for vulnerable prisoners.
