Beaten And Facing More Time: Mike Chimombe And Moses Mpofu Attacked At Chikurubi, ZPCS Guards Fired

Chikurubi Prison Bloodbath: Disgraced Businessmen Mike Chimombe & Moses Mpofu Beaten Up At Chikurubi, ZPCS Officers Fired

HARARE – Disgraced businessmen Mike Chimombe and Moses Mpofu were badly beaten by prison guards at Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison on Wednesday after they were allegedly caught with mobile phones in their cells, according to online publication Nehanda Radio.

The Green Light That Gave Them Away

The downfall of the two convicted fraudsters, who thought they could outsmart the system, began with a simple green dot on a smartphone screen. According to a senior Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services source who spoke to Nehanda Radio, authorities had already placed the pair under intense surveillance following reports that they were communicating with the outside world and using social media as part of their communications network.

“A monitoring team was set up to track their social media presence, including checking their WhatsApp activity and Facebook online status, which is indicated by the green light when a user is active,” the senior prisons source revealed.

It was this digital footprint that sealed their fate. When Moses Mpofu’s online status flashed ‘active,’ indicating he was communicating with the outside world, a tactical team of prison officers moved swiftly. They raided his cell and conducted a targeted search, recovering an iPhone mobile phone.

The discovery triggered a violent chain of events. Mpofu was immediately dragged from his cell and subjected to a severe beating at the hands of prison guards. The assault continued until Mpofu broke and began naming names. He reportedly implicated his business partner, Mike Chimombe, and disclosed the identities of the prison officers who had been keeping the phones for them during the day.

“He went on to name the prison officers who allegedly kept the phones for them during the day and handed them over at night when prisoners were locked in their cells,” the source added.

Officers Dismissed After Raid

Following Mpofu’s confession, a second team of guards was dispatched to Chimombe’s cell. He, too, was found in possession of an iPhone and met the same fate as his associate, sustaining heavy injuries. Both prisoners had to be taken to the prison hospital within Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison for treatment.

The net then closed on the corrupt officials. The implicated prison officers were immediately detained, and their living quarters within the prison compound were thoroughly searched.

“Their living quarters within the prison compound were searched, where iPhone chargers used to power the smuggled mobile phones during the day were reportedly recovered,” the source confirmed.

The Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service acted with remarkable speed. A disciplinary tribunal was reportedly convened last Friday, where the implicated officers were found guilty of gross misconduct and subsequently dismissed from the service. However, ZPCS has not yet issued a formal statement confirming these dismissals.

The fallout is far from over. The prison service, which falls under the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, is now in high-level discussions with relevant authorities regarding the status of the two inmates.

Consideration is being given to withdrawing the remission previously granted to them. Remission, which reduces a prisoner’s sentence for good behaviour, is now firmly off the table for Chimombe and Mpofu, according to the online publication.

Prison Scandal Sparks Criminal Probe

The scandal has sent shockwaves through the correctional system. The senior prisons source emphasised that such breaches are treated with the utmost seriousness.

“Prison security breaches are treated as serious disciplinary and, in some cases, criminal matters because they undermine institutional control, safety, and the integrity of custodial sentences,” the source said.

He explained that when prohibited items such as mobile phones are discovered, prisons launch internal investigations to determine how the breach occurred, whether staff were complicit, and whether inmates violated prison regulations. Prisoners found in possession of contraband usually face sanctions including solitary confinement, loss of privileges, withdrawal of remission, or additional charges if criminal conduct is established.

“Correctional systems like Chikurubi Prison treat such breaches firmly because unauthorised communication can facilitate further crimes, witness interference, corruption, or the compromise of security operations,” the source stressed.

The investigation has now expanded. The prison service is currently studying the communications the two prisoners made and the people they communicated with to determine whether any further crimes were committed.

Chimombe and Mpofu are currently serving lengthy sentences for defrauding the State through the Presidential Goat Pass-On Scheme. Mpofu was sentenced to 22 years in prison, with eight years suspended, leaving an effective 15-year jail term, while Chimombe was sentenced to 17 years, with five years suspended, leaving an effective 12-year jail term. Both have launched appeals against their convictions and sentences.

Political commentator Hopewell Chin’ono weighed in on the developments on X, posting:

“ZANUPF is more ruthless to its own members when they cross its red lines. Mike Chimombe was once very powerful politically and socially, now he is just another Joe after falling out with his party and its godfathers.”