South Africa hunts for Zimbabwean jail breaker Clatta Gumbo

Rape convict vanished after disarming guard at Mamelodi Regional Hospital

By Staff Reporter

Prison authorities in South African have appealed for information from the public in their bid to recapture prison escapee Clatta Gumbo, a Zimbabwean rape convict who was serving a life sentence in Tshwane’s Baviaanspoort Correctional Centre.

Gumbo on Monday escaped from custody after disarming his guard and vanishing from Mamelodi Regional Hospital where he had been escorted to consult a dietician.

He was jailed for rape, kidnapping, and assault in 2018.

“The Department of Correctional Services, working with other law enforcement agencies, is conducting a widespread search operation to locate and apprehend offender Clatta Gumbo who escaped on Monday, 12 February 2024 from the grounds of Mamelodi Regional Hospital,” read a statement Tuesday.

“He was escorted to the hospital for a consultation with a Dietician when he attacked the guarding official, disarmed him and escaped from the hospital premises.

“An immediate action has been taken to initiate a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the escape.”

Prison authorities on Tuesday assured the public of the correctional service’s commitment to their safety, adding they were taking every possible action to recapture the fugitive as soon as possible.