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Crime Reporter
One of the five inmates who were shot and killed after ignoring warning shots by security officers during food riots which occurred recently at Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison is likely to get a pauper’s burial after relatives failed to collect his body due to financial constraints.
Dennis Arum’s body is still at a hospital mortuary while the bodies of the other four — Desmond Mavhundutse, Paul Pedzisa Zuze, Titus Mandikonza and Nicholas Bendera — have since been collected for burial.
Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) spokesperson Chief Superintendent Elizabeth Banda-Karinda yesterday confirmed the developments.
“Dennis Arum’s relatives were informed and they approached us and said they did not have money to bury him,” she said. “If not collected, he will likely get a pauper’s burial.”
Chief Supt Banda-Karinda said they were still in the process of rehabilitating the prison and mobilising other resources in preparation for winter.
She said for winter, they had begun purchasing blankets as well as acquiring some from well wishers.
Government has since released funds for the upkeep of 19 000 prisoners in the country’s 46 prisons.
Recently, the ZPCS set up a five-member commission of inquiry to investigate circumstances surrounding the food riots which left the five inmates dead and destroyed property worth thousands of dollars.
The five-member commission is headed by ZPCS Commissioner Wonder Chisora of the audit and inspectorate unit.
Jailed RMG Independent End Time Message leader Robert Martin Gumbura allegedly masterminded the foiled escape together with eight other inmates.
The nine have since appeared in court facing several charges, including attempting to escape from prison.
Gumbura allegedly told other inmates that they were foolish for not breaking windowpanes to escape in protest against poor food at the prison.
The State contended that Gumbura’s utterances incited other inmates to go on a rampage, especially when he told them that in South Africa prisoners wouldn’t stand such a situation and would have escaped.
The State papers indicated that in the ensuing melee on March 13 as the prisoners attempted to escape, some of them were shot by the police Support Unit after they scaled the roof.
Gumbura’s accomplices are Lucky Matambanadzo (39), Blessing Chauke (25), Lucky Mhungu (38), Taurai Dodzo (47), Thomas Chacha (37), Thulani Chizema (32), Jacob Sibanda (28) and Elijah Vhumbunu (38).
Online Reporter