One of the two notorious Mutimurefu Prison escapees, James Masunda, has been arrested in the Renco area of Masvingo Rural following a shootout with detectives from the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) Criminal Investigations Department (CID).
Masunda, 34, was apprehended on Friday, 14 August, after detectives tracked him to a bush hideout in the mining area.
Sources close to the operation told New Ziana that police used Masunda’s wife to lure him out of hiding before detectives moved in.
According to the sources, Masunda (wearing a white shirt with a red stripe in the picture) was shot and seriously injured during the ensuing confrontation. He was subsequently arrested and is currently receiving treatment under police guard at Masvingo Provincial Hospital.
His alleged accomplice, Tafadzwa Janyure Zimirenyika, 27, evaded arrest and remains at large.
Police have been conducting a manhunt for the duo since they escaped from Mutimurefu Prison in Masvingo on Saturday, 8 August 2026.
Police launched the manhunt after the two convicted prisoners escaped, warning members of the public not to approach them as they should be treated as very dangerous.
The escape is said to have occurred after the two attended court hearings in Masvingo, where Janyure is on trial for another robbery case, and Masunda is a witness in a separate case. The pair reportedly breached cell security before escaping through the prison’s perimeter fence.
Janyure was serving a life sentence for murder, rape and armed robbery, plus an additional 70-year term, and is also linked to several other cases involving murder, armed robbery and rape and was still awaiting trial on a slew of other High Court charges.
He was convicted of murder, attempted murder, armed robbery and rape.
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