MBIRI YA MATEWERE ~ NO PRISON IN MALAWI COULD HOLD HIM FOR DAYS
Matewere was one of the most well-known criminals in Malawi’s history.
His story became popular when it was featured in the Police Magazine in 1982–1983. Four full pages talked about his crimes and how he was caught. He was also the first criminal to give a full interview to the Police Magazine, explaining how he did his crimes.
One photo in the magazine showed six broken handcuffs. People close to the police said Matewere broke all six of them after being arrested. He only failed to break the seventh pair.
Matewere was famous for escaping from jail cells. He would often escape before going to court. This time, the police didn’t take any chances—they sent him to Chichiri Prison to wait for his trial.
Chichiri Prison was known for being very secure. The walls were high and covered with sharp barbed wire. Other inmates laughed at Matewere, saying he had no chance of escaping. Everyone believed he was stuck there for good.
But Matewere had different plans. From the moment he arrived, he started planning his escape. A few days before his court date, he pretended to be sick and asked for extra blankets. Other prisoners gave him some, not knowing what he was planning.
He used those blankets to escape from the prison. No one really knows how he climbed the wall, but it’s believed he threw the blankets over the barbed wire to protect himself. His escape shocked both the prison guards and the other inmates.
Matewere knew escaping was hard—but being caught again would be easy. So he had carefully planned his way out.
After escaping, he ran along the Naperi River, which runs behind Chichiri Prison and is surrounded by thick bushes. Police officers, prison guards, and dogs searched for him—but they couldn’t find him.
He ran all the way past Stella Maris, and then vanished without a trace. After Matewere’s first escape from Chichiri Prison, he…..
