Bulawayo, Khami Convict Shot Dead, By Police, Allegedly On His Second escape Bid.

The Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) requested written questions which they had not responded to by last night.

However, a close source who spoke on condition of anonymity said Simango was among a group of 200 prisoners who were working outside the premises when he tried to escape.

The source said a female officer shot Simango in the chest in self-defence as he tried to attack her during a search for him. “About 200 prisoners were working outside the prison under escort. They were clearing a fire guard when Simango decided to escape. Prison officers first returned all the other prisoners to the prison premises, then went back to search for him.

“They searched around and one female officer spotted him hiding in the bushes. He picked up a log and headed straight to the female officer who then shot him in self-defence. She shot him once in the chest and he died on the spot,” he said.

Claims that Simango had recently been transferred from Bulawayo Prisons after he also tried to escape from there, could not be ascertained.

In another incident, another inmate was found dead in the cells at Khami Medium Prison on Tuesday morning.

Gift Sibanda, 49, of Lobengula suburb in Bulawayo was found dead at around 5AM by a prison officer on routine checks.

Police spokesperson for Bulawayo Metropolitan Province Inspector Precious Simango said:

“I can confirm that we received a report of sudden death of an inmate at Khami Medium Prison. The known hypertension patient was found dead on Tuesday morning by an officer who was doing routine checks. Investigation on his death is underway.”

Sibanda’s wife, whose name could not be established, told The Chronicle that her husband was a hypertension patient and they regularly delivered his medication to the prison. source-chronicle