Chikurubi Prison

Chikurubi Prison was a maximum security prison in Zimbabwe. Located on the outskirts of the country's capital, Harare, the prison is notorious for alleged mistreatment and human rights abuses. The prison is known for its overcrowding and poor sanitary conditions. Cells typically measured 9 metres (30 ft) by 4 metres (13 ft), and there is as many as 25 prisoners housed in each cell. [1][2]

Notable prisoners
  • Roy Bennett, Zimbabwean politician and former colonial policeman[3]
  • Simon Mann, British mercenary and former British Army officer[4]
  • Munyaradzi Kereke, former wealthy businessman, former Zanu PF MP, and former advisor to retired Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor Gideon Gono, sentenced in 2016 to 10 years in jail after being convicted of raping his then 11-year-old niece, at the end of a decade-long legal campaign to bring him to justice despite him allegedly being protected by police and the Attorney General's office.[5] Kereke has apologised to "Gono and the government but not to his victims".[5]
  • Former Army Captain Albert Matapo (who retired in 1991, 16 years before his alleged coup attempt), and six others, Emmanuel Marara, Oncemore Mudzurahona, Partson Mupfure, Nyasha Zivuku, Rangarirai Mazivofa and Shingirai Webster Mutemachani, ended up spending seven years in Chikurubi Prison for alleged involvement in the 2007 Zimbabwean alleged coup d'état attempt.[6] They were accused of planning a coup d'état to replace Robert Mugabe by Emmerson Mnangagwa, but claim they were only trying to form a new political party, and deemed Mnangagwa as bad as Mugabe, and potentially even worse.[6] No treason trial took place, for lack of evidence, and they were released on March 1, 2014, and subsequently launched their new political party.[6] Matapo later described the prison as "hell".[6]
  • Chidhumo and Masendeke, the only criminal duo who launched the only successful prison break of the Chikurubi Prison.
  • Hopewell Chin'ono, a journalist and frequent critic of the government.[7]

References
  1. Peta, Basildon (11 September 2004). "No space, light or air and little food in Chikurubi". The Independent. Independent Print Limited. Retrieved 28 July 2011.
  2. "Zimbabwe Prisons". Tagzania.com. Retrieved 23 November 2017.
  3. Leonard, Tom (28 July 2005). "'I make no apologies for being white'". The Daily Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  4. Smith, David (13 April 2010). "Wanted: hangman for Zimbabwe prison". The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  5. Obey Manayiti; Veneranda Langa (30 April 2017). "Kereke's winding road to Chikurubi". The Standard. Retrieved 16 November 2017. Fresh details have emerged of how former Zanu PF MP Munyaradzi Kereke manipulated state institutions, including the police, in his vain attempt to escape prosecution for raping an 11-year-old girl. ... Kereke, a former advisor to retired Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor Gideon Gono, was last year sentenced to 10 years in jail for raping his niece. ... Kereke, once a wealthy businessman with interests in the health sector, used police officers to intimidate the victim’s family and received help from the attorney general’s (AG’s) office to frustrate lawyers pursuing the rape case. ... He was eventually convicted of rape and sent to Chikurubi Maximum Prison for the heinous crime. In an effort to reconstruct one of Zimbabwe’s most high-profile rape cases in history, this paper stumbled on fresh evidence showing how Kereke used his highly-placed connections to stay out of jail for a decade. ... Kereke has apologised to his former boss Gono and the government but not to his victims.
  6. Staff Reporter (3 September 2014). "Former army officer breaks silence on coup accusations". The Zimbabwean. Retrieved 16 November 2017. An army officer, who with six friends was abducted in May 2007 and ended up spending seven years in Chikurubi Prison, has broken his silence by speaking to The Zimbabwean this week. ...former Army Captain Albert Matapo ... and six others, Emmanuel Marara, Oncemore Mudzurahona, Partson Mupfure, Nyasha Zivuku, Rangarirai Mazivofa and Shingirai Webster Mutemachani, were abducted on May 29, 2007 at 108 Nelson Mandela Avenue, Harare, by people in plain clothes who identified themselves as CIO and army intelligence officers. ... 'We were abducted because we were in the process of forming a new political party which is now called United Crusade for Achieving Democracy (UCAD). ...' ... Matapo said they were taken to an unknown destination where they suffered several forms of tortured, including electrocution on the genitals. ... 'Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison is hell and we were denied bail applications many times,' added Matapo. However, the treason trial did not commence due to lack of evidence and the seven men were released on March 1. ... They went ahead and formed their party, UCAD, which was launched on August 1 in Harare. ... 'There is no way normal people like us would remove Robert Mugabe and put Mnangagwa because they are one and the same. Mnangagwa can even be worse than Mugabe. ...'
  7. "Zimbabwean journalist released on bail after weeks in prison". ABC News. AP. January 27, 2021. Retrieved January 27, 2021.

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