Two inmates escape prison, rearrested
Two inmates yesterday escaped Zomba Maximum Prison only to be rearrested later by prison warders at Saint Mary’s Cathedral in the city.
In an interview yesterday, Malawi Prison Services (MPS) national spokesperson Chimwemwe Shaba confirmed the incident which happened on Sunday morning.
He said the two, Austin Makauli Banda and John Asidi Sauti, were jailed in November 2018 to five and six years imprisonment, respectively, for breaking into and robbing a cottage in Zomba.
Shaba said: “At around 6am, the two inmates jumped the prison fence. Fortunately, our officers were on guard and ran after them. The officers caught the prisoners at around St Mary’s area. Our investigations show that they are [habitual criminals]”.
Shaba claimed that the inmates were not beaten by prison wardens but suffered injuries after being trapped by a wire fence.
Mzuzu University security studies lecturer Eugenio Njoloma in an interview yesterday attributed the incident to the country’s centralised prison management which he said makes it difficult to monitor inmates.
He urged authorities to adopt unit management system in which prison officials are able to monitor specific groups of inmates.
Last year, two prisoners were also rearrested after escaping from Nkhata Bay Prison in separate incidents.
Malawi’s prisons are known for poor conditions and congestion. Last February, the Norwegian government launched a four-year K2.6 billion prison reform project amid concerns of poor conditions in the country’s prisons.
The project is aimed at addressing challenges in prison management, improved prison health delivery and management, and improved criminal justice processes with a target to reduce prison congestion.
