A convicted rapist serving a lengthy sentence was recaptured Tuesday after stabbing a prison officer and attempting to flee Harare Magistrates Court disguised in the guard’s uniform.
Itai Madhongo, 33, is serving time at Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison for rape and robbery convictions. He attacked the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS) officer in the eye with an unknown object before seizing keys and stripping the guard of his uniform inside the court building.
Madhongo fled the courtroom and hid in a public toilet within the court premises. The attack prompted an immediate lockdown of the facility, suspending all proceedings as security personnel sealed the main entrance. He was discovered moments later hiding behind wooden panels near a corridor leading to magistrates’ offices, while ZPCS sought backup from its SWAT unit.
The injured prison officer was rushed to Parirenyatwa Hospital for treatment. His current condition has not been disclosed by authorities.
Madhongo is currently serving a 27-year prison sentence for rape and robbery after being convicted by Harare magistrate Fadzai Mtombeni. He was in court on fresh charges when he launched the escape bid. Prosecutors said he also took a bunch of keys from the officer, raising questions about security protocols.
The incident marks the second attempted courthouse escape in under a year. On March 21 last year, two inmates attempted to flee while being escorted to a prison truck following a hearing at the same court, using a revolver smuggled into their prison cell. One inmate scaled the court’s palisade fence, hijacked a vehicle at gunpoint and remained free for three days before capture.
Investigations are underway to determine how Madhongo obtained a weapon inside the secure facility and managed to attack the officer. The Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service has not yet commented on whether security procedures will be reviewed following the incident.
