The ZRP has launched a manhunt after a convicted rapist, Mike Mathe escaped from Plumtree prison in a dramatic prison break. The thirty-eight-year-old allegedly engineered his escape from Plumtree Prison in the early hours of Saturday morning, cutting through the burglar bars of his cell window with a hacksaw blade before slipping away into the darkness.
Fellow inmates are said to have looked on, powerless to intervene, as the dangerous figure made his getaway around 2AM. A massive manhunt involving security teams was immediately launched, but the fugitive has so far managed to evade capture.
The news has sent ripples of terror through a populace that had long considered Mathe a menacing and untouchable presence. For years, he was reportedly seen as a local kingpin who operated businesses, flaunted his wealth, and allegedly terrorised women with impunity. He was known to boast that the police would never be able to arrest him. One distraught local, who wished to remain anonymous, stated,
“Everyone is afraid. We thought we were finally safe when he was behind bars. Now he is out there, and we don’t know what he will do. We are locking our doors and praying.”
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Convicted Rapist Mike Mathe Escapes Plumtree Prison
Mathe’s escape has thrown a spotlight back onto the grievous crimes for which he was already convicted and those for which he was awaiting trial. He was serving a twenty-year sentence for the brutal rape of a female employee, a sentence handed down by Plumtree magistrate Dambudzo Malunga on 29 August.
The court records from that case painted a horrifying picture. On 16 October 2024, Mathe allegedly forced the woman into his vehicle, drove her to a secluded area, and commanded her to enter a cold water tank. When she pleaded for mercy, he is accused of repeatedly holding her head underwater until she lost consciousness.
Following the escape, a source close to the investigation remarked,
“This was a calculated and ruthless individual. The details of his actions are beyond comprehension. After the assault at the water tank, he drove her home, forced her to change, and then raped her at his house before coldly ordering her to report for work at 6AM as if it were just another day.”
His flight from justice has also reignited anxieties over his other pending cases, which include charges of murder, sodomy, and the abuse of a minor.
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The Notorious ‘Judas Cop’ Saga and Lingering Fears
Among the most disturbing of the unresolved cases is the one infamously known as the “Judas Cop” saga. In this matter, a rogue police officer, Thembani Mukanyani, stands accused of removing a woman from protective custody and deliberately delivering her into the hands of Mathe. The woman was subsequently smuggled across the border into Botswana, where she was allegedly murdered. Furthermore, Mathe faces another charge for allegedly handcuffing a woman, beating her, and forcing her underwater while stepping on her back. With his sudden return to the streets, the deeply-held belief that he operated under the protection of powerful allies has resurfaced, compounding the community’s dread. A former neighbour lamented, “He always said he had friends in high places. Now he is free, and that fear he used to rule with has come back to life.”
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The post Manhunt Underway After Convicted Rapist Mike Mathe Escapes Plumtree Prison appeared first on iHarare News.
