Judicial proceedings at the Rotten Row Magistrates Court were violently shattered on Wednesday when a suspected inmate launched a calculated attack, stabbing a prison officer, stealing his uniform, and escaping, leaving a scene of chaos and prompting a massive city-wide manhunt.

The brazen midday incident brought the busy courthouse to a complete standstill, triggering an immediate lockdown as law enforcement agencies scrambled to respond.

According to initial eyewitness accounts and sources close to the investigation, the event unfolded with startling speed and precision.

The inmate, whose identity has not been officially released, allegedly assaulted a Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS) officer within a secure area of the court.

In a sequence of actions described by one shaken witness as “savage and mocking,” the inmate is reported to have stabbed the officer, forcibly removed his uniform, and then handcuffed the wounded guard with his own restraints.

Disguised in the stolen ZPCS uniform, the fugitive then walked out of the courthouse, effectively disappearing into the surrounding city centre.

“The court just erupted into chaos,” said a court official who requested anonymity.

“There was shouting, people running, and then the full lockdown order. It was clear something very serious had happened.”

Following the escape, a major security operation was launched.

Police and prison authorities have sealed off the area around Rotten Row, with checkpoints established on major routes out of the city centre.

Officers are conducting floor-by-floor searches of nearby buildings and reviewing security footage from the courthouse and surrounding businesses.

As of this reporting, both the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) and the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS) have not issued an official public statement regarding the incident, the identity of the escaped inmate, or the status of the injured officer.

The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) has moved to set the record straight, formally denying that two senior NetOne executives were ever fugitives from the law.

ZACC spokesperson Simbiso Mlevu directly addressed and dismissed media reports that claimed NetOne’s Chief Finance Officer, Nyasha Nyambuya, and Chief Technology Officer, Chris Muchechemera, were wanted or evading authorities.

“The narrative that these executives were on the run is completely false,” said Mlevu.

“They have been performing their duties at NetOne without interruption and were never subject to any manhunt or wanted notice from ZACC.”

The commission characterised the earlier reports as baseless speculation, clarifying that its investigative focus never included the two officers.

The clarification follows the legal resolution of a separate case involving NetOne CEO, Engineer Raphael Mushanawani.

Last year,  the Harare Regional Magistrate Court exonerated Eng Mushanawani from fraud allegations involving US$1.2 million.

Magistrate Mrs Marehwanazvo Gofa granted the CEO’s application for removal from remand.

In her ruling, she stated that the State provided no evidence linking him to any offence and confirmed that the actions in question, related to system upgrades, were transparent and known to the company’s principals.

This ruling effectively clears Eng. Mushanawani of all charges, bringing a definitive end to the case.

In a shocking breach of trust and community betrayal, a Rusape-based church leader (27) lured a minor (13) after New Year’s Eve prayers and s_xually abused her.

For this horrific incident, the church leader was brought before Rusape Magistrates’ Court and convicted to three years in prison.

According to court records, the church leader assaulted the victim in one of the rooms at their place of worship.

“He locked the door and s_xually assaulted the victim.”

The victim later disclosed the abuse, and a police report was filed.

“During trial, the court examined admissibility of the complaint of rape guided by the precedent in S v Nyirenda, which requires that such complaints be made voluntarily and without coercion,” said the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).

It stated that in this case, the victim’s disclosure was prompted by leading and intimidating questioning, including pressure from her mother, and she initially did not name the offender.

“Due to these circumstances, the Court ruled that the evidence did not meet the threshold of a r_pe conviction.

“However, the offender did not deny the abuse with the victim, claiming instead that it was consensual.

“The court emphasised that consent is legally irrelevant when the survivor is below the age of 18 and therefore returned a competent verdict of s_xual assault with the victim.”

In a related incident, another Rusape man, aged 27, will spend the next two years behind bars for engaging in a relationship with a 15-year-old minor.

“The offender, who was employed at Sakarombe farm in Rusape, violated the victim, who is a grade seven learner, on four separate occasions between December 2025 and January 2026.

“The matter came to light on 4 January 2026, when the minor eloped to the offender’s homestead, prompting her father to report the case to the police.”

NPA said the offender was sentenced to 36 months imprisonment, of which 12 months were suspended for five years on the condition of good behaviour.