HARARE – A rapist has escaped at the Rotten Row Magistrates’ Court in Harare, minutes after he was jailed for 15 years.

Emmanuel Sibanda, 26, is thought to have slipped from the court cells at around 10AM on Tuesday – but an alert was only raised at around midday.

He had just been convicted and jailed for raping a 40-year-old prostitute.

Sibanda was handed over to the officer in charge of the cells by prison guards, but he was not due to be transported to prison until later in the day with other remand prisoners of convicts.

Police and prison officers searched the building before calling in sniffer dogs, but Sibanda was gone.

Some court officials who spoke to ZimLive suspected it was an inside job involving court orderlies and prison officers.

Prison officers are always on guard manning the cells’ exit.

Sibanda was wearing khakhi prison gab following his conviction.

Harare magistrate Morgan Nemadire sentenced him to 15 years imprisonment. He suspended three years of his sentence conditionally leaving him with 12 years effective.

Sibanda was convicted after a full trial in which he denied the crime.

Ephraim Zinyandu proved that Sibanda raped a 40-year-old Mbare woman after offering her a lift in his car on August 7 this year.

The victim, who cannot be named, needed a lift to Mbare Market at around 5AM when Sibanda pulled over.

Once the victim was in the car, the court heard, Sibanda diverted the route and drove to an area called Mushongandebvu in Mbare where he parked his vehicle by the roadside.

Sibanda then raped the victim once without using protection after ordering her to comply with his orders.

He then drove to the corner of Mhlanga and Adbernie roads where he dropped her.

She managed to capture Sibanda’s car registration before calling the police.

A check with Central Vehicle Registry (CVR) led to Sibanda’a arrest.

Sibanda denied rape, telling his trial that the victim had in fact been hired by one of his friends for sexual services earlier that day.

He said he refused to drive around with her in his car as she was older than him and his friends adding that it was embarrassing to be seen hanging around with an older woman.

Sibanda told the court that this angered the victim who went on to concoct rape allegations against him.