Prison escapees ask for leniency

Prison escapees have pleaded with Francistown Magistrate, Ismael Molobe to go easy on them when passing sentence against them. The escapees say their unlawful act of escaping from justice was unintentional. They took turns asking court during mitigation to consider that they were tempted to escape.

Mulidendli Moyo told the Magistrate that he was almost through serving his prison term for the offence that landed him in jail. Sicelo Sibanda also asked court to forgive him saying that he was remorseful after he was recaptured.

“I didn’t go far, I should be given strokes because I’m also about to finish my jail term as well,” Sibanda said, pleading for leniency. His co-accused, Rowland Moyo also sang the same song. Gaomodimo Molosiwa on the other hand asked court to treat him like a first offender.

Givemore Chaloba said the court should be lenient on him because prison is not a rehabilitation centre for many prisoners but rather a place where gangster minds meet to develop their notoriety. “I take it that I am in a boarding school or training for stealing, so extending my prison term will only help me graduate in that field,” Chaloba said. He suggested that prison warders should be investigated because there is nobody who can escape from the Francistown Centre for Illegal Immigrants (FCII) unaided. He also pleaded with Molobe to transfer him citing bad blood between himself and prison warders. He said if he stays any longer he will die. “My worship I believe strokes will be better than an increased prison term,” Chaloba said.

Musa Willy who took a plea of guilty on that fateful date told Molobe that he is asking for forgiveness. He said the charge he is facing is the only thing that tempted him to escape. The prison escapees who have finally pleaded guilty were amongst the 18 fugitives who escaped from the Francistown Centre for Illegal Immigrants early January this year. 15 were Zimbabweans while three (3) were Batswana. Security agents have managed to recapture 10 escapees, amongst them being three Batswana and seven (7) Zimbabweans. Unfortunately one Charlotte Ndlovu died weeks after his re-arrest. Thabani Ncube was recaptured in Zimbabwe where he is still in Zimbabwean custody. Godwin Mapunganyika who was the first one to plead guilty has been sentenced to six (6) months imprisonment while Mthokozisi Sibanda who pleaded guilty right after Mapunganyika is still awaiting his sentence. Eight (8) escapees are still on the run. Sentence will be passed today (Wednesday).