Online Reporter
Yeukai Karengezeka
Court Correspondent
THE State yesterday concluded its case against Luke Zinyengere, who stands accused of escaping from custody while armed with a revolver smuggled to him when he was brought to court.
Prosecutor Mr Loveti Muringwa presented evidence from four witnesses, all of whom testified that Zinyengere was armed during his escape.
While Zinyengere admitted to escaping from lawful custody at Harare Magistrates Court, he denied being armed during the incident.
One of the witnesses, prison officer Mr Fungai Nyanzunda, recounted how Zinyengere managed to flee when the cell gates were opened to allow inmates to board a truck.
Mr Nyanzunda, who was on duty at the time, said he apprehended Zinyengere’s accomplice, Tafadzwa Richard Marondera, after pursuing him when the pair jumped the perimeter fence of the Harare Magistrates Court.
Mr Nyanzunda told Magistrate Letwin Rwodzi that as he restrained Marondera by stepping on his neck, Zinyengere charged towards him and pointed a firearm in his direction.
“He pointed a pistol at me when he was about 10 metres away. That’s when I realised he was armed,” Mr Nyanzunda said.
“I observed the firearm, it was a foldable revolver with a magazine capacity of six rounds. It was silver with a 3-4 cm barrel length.
Mr Nyanzunda said he was the only one outside the court fence, as his colleagues slowed down their pursuit upon realising Zinyengere was armed.
“It was God who gave me the courage to stand against Zinyengere. If I had known earlier that he was armed, I would have slowed down. It only hit me when I got home how close I came to being fatally shot.”
The State alleges that Zinyengere and Marondera escaped from lawful custody on March 21. Marondera was apprehended just outside the court premises, but Zinyengere managed to escape by hijacking a Mazda Demio driven by Tinashe Chiyamuro, which he later abandoned along Kaguvi Street.
Zinyengere was arrested days later in Msasa. Magistrate Rwodzi adjourned the case to today for Zinyengere’s defence.
