There was high drama at the Beit Bridge Magistrates’ Court on Friday, when two murder suspects, who were coming out of court, managed to get loose and fled, with the prison warders hot in pursuit.

The incident occurred at around 09:00 when the two suspects, Onwell Muleya (18) and Solomon Chauke (21), both of Tshapfutshe Village in the border town, capitalized on the laxity in security and took to their heels, with the prison officers chasing them. The drama attracted the attention of street vendors, who eventually assisted the prison officers by apprehending Muleya. “I was busy looking for customers when, all of a sudden, I heard some noise. The next thing, I saw a man running, with a prison officer shouting for help. We then joined in the chase, resulting in the suspect being subsequently apprehended by some of my colleagues,” said Tendani Ndou, a street vendor. Chauke managed to outpace the prison officers and was only arrested the following morning (Saturday), following a manhunt.

A prison officer who spoke to Mirror said Chauke was arrested at around 04:00. “We launched a manhunt for him and received a tip-off that he was hiding at a friend’s house in Dulibadzimu.” Muleya and Chauke both appeared in court last Friday before magistrate Tavengwa Sangster on murder charges and they were indicted for trial at the High Court on February 16.

The prosecutor, Mr Tichafa Mabhengere, said on 6 February last year, the two accused were drinking beer at a homestead in Tshapfutshe area when Muleya had an altercation with Godfrey Nyathi. The dispute degenerated into a fight and, in the process, Nyathi was stabbed with an Okapi knife near his left collar bone and he died on the spot.