Prison escapees finally plead guilty

Five more fugitives who were amongst the 18 prison escapees who escaped from the Francistown Centre for Illegal Immigrants early January this year have finally given in. Mulidenli Moyo (24), Sicelo Sibanda (23), Rowland Moyo (29), Gaomodimo Molosiwa (28) and Givemore Chaloba (25) shocked the court yesterday when they pleaded guilty before Francistown Magistrate, Ismael Molobe.

This follows two separate court proceedings in which two of their co-accused Godwill Mapunganyika and Mthokokozisi Sibanda pleaded guilty. This was after the escapees took refuge in the death of Charlotte Ndlovu who died a few weeks after his re-arrest.

The recaptured prisoners had since maintained that Ndlovu released them and that they did not escape. Yesterday Moyo turned against his word and confessed to his crime. He told the court that on the 14th January he escaped from custody.

He said he did not do it willingly but that he was lured to do so by one of his co-accused whom he did not mention. “One of my co-accused told me that he just received a call and he is escaping. He said that they had made a payment to be released,” Moyo said.

He elaborated how he started asking many questions as to who was paid and how much was paid for their freedom. Moyo said that the accused told him that if he continued to be inquisitive he would remain while they escape. “Within 30 minutes, there were warders with guns but people were escaping at their watch so I followed suit,” Moyo said, adding that he was given courage to escape by the fact that warders were watching people escape without taking action. He said that he walked the whole night and was arrested the following night. Before the five changed their pleas, they had caused a scuffle in the court requesting to see the Magistrate alone in his chambers.

They each said that they had confidential matters that they wished to discuss with him in the absence of people in the gallery. Court was adjourned for some minutes and the gallery was cleared while journalists, court clerks and prison warders remained. When the court adjourned, Chaloba and Molosiwa insisted that journalists should not be in court.

They persisted on the issue. Molobe had no choice but to ask the journalists to step outside. After sometime he called people in and explained that sometimes there are personal issues that they wished to raise so he thought it was one of those.

He ordered them to repeat everything that they said in an open court. The prosecutor, Archie Makgoa told Molobe that another accused person Musa Willy was not before court as he had gone to the High Court for his other matter that was scheduled for the same day. The escapees are expected back in court on June 19 for mitigation and judgement.