HARARE – The high, grey walls of Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison often swallow the dreams of many, but for Leah Chikwekwe, they are reminder of a night where greed, desperation, and a craving for drugs led to her downfall. The 27-year-old Mbare woman, whose life was once a whirlwind of illicit deals in the capital’s oldest suburb, now finds herself trading the freedom of the streets for the rigid discipline of the Chikurubi Female Prison.
Her story is one of a bizarre double-con that has left many in the Mbare community scratching their heads. It was a night of “lula lula” – a local slang term for sexual encounters – that went spectacularly wrong, not because of a lack of customers, but because of Leah’s own audacity to con the same man twice within the span of an hour.
The Double Con at the Flats
The incident began when Leah hooked up with a man who was described as being “desperate to spend quality time.” In the dimly lit corridors of Mbare, where the air is often thick with the scent of poverty and the desperation of those seeking a quick fix, the two struck a deal. The man, whose identity has been withheld, agreed to pay US$10 for a sexual encounter.
However, Leah had no intention of fulfilling her end of the bargain. Speaking to visiting students from St Ignatius College, who were at the prison as part of an education and crime-prevention programme, Leah narrated the events with a surprising level of candour.
“It started when I hooked up a man, who was desperate to spend quality time with me,” Leah said, as her voice echoed in the prison hall. “I pretended to offer him access to an apartment but I said he would only do so after he had paid.”
The man, blinded by his desires, handed over the US$10. When they reached the flat, Leah employed a classic stall tactic. She asked the man to remain outside, claiming she needed to “check if everything was clear” inside the room. Instead of preparing for their encounter, Leah quickly changed her clothes, donned a hat, and slipped out through another door, leaving the lula lula-starved man waiting in the cold corridor, struggling with his hungry ‘anaconda’.
In a display of sheer bravado that eventually led to her arrest, Leah returned to the same spot just 30 minutes later. She saw the man still standing there, waiting for the woman he thought was inside. Despite having just conned him, she approached him again, betting on the fact that her change of attire and the darkness would shield her identity.
She claims she asked the man if he was waiting for someone. “He told me he was waiting for a lady, who looked like me in stature but whose clothes were different and who was wearing a hat,” Leah said.
Seizing the opportunity to double her earnings, Leah told the man she knew exactly where the “other woman” was but demanded another US$10 to show him the location. Incredibly, the sex-loving man paid again. Leah led him to another flat before disappearing once more, this time for good.
From Con to Consumption: The Drug Connection
The US$20 Leah managed to swindle from the man did not go towards feeding her children or improving her living conditions. Instead, it was immediately funnelled into the dark underbelly of Mbare’s drug trade. Leah told the students that she used the money to buy drugs for resale, a move that directly led to the police raid that landed her behind bars.
“I urge the students not to be tempted to make quick money through immorality, partying with misbehaving friends, or experimenting with drugs and substances,” she warned. “As students, do not misuse your pocket money for drugs. I have come to understand that the wrath of the law will always catch up with anyone enjoying the fruits of illicit deals.”
Leah’s admission highlights a growing crisis in Zimbabwe’s urban centres, particularly in Mbare, where the sale of illicit substances like crystal meth—locally known as “mututor” or “guka”—has become a survival strategy for many, yet a death trap for others. Recent police operations in the suburb have seen hundreds of arrests, with authorities intensifying their crackdown on drug lords and small-time dealers alike.
Life Behind the Iron Bars
For Leah and her fellow inmates, the transition from the chaotic freedom of Mbare to the regimented life of Chikurubi has been a bitter pill to swallow. Lavender Zisengwe, another 27-year-old inmate who was also arrested for drug dealing, shared the grim reality of their daily existence with the visiting students.
“In prison, you are forced to wear the same clothes no matter your case or background, you must retire to bed before the night and your movement is controlled,” Lavender said. Her words served as a sobering reminder of the loss of agency that comes with a criminal conviction. “That is what happens after committing various criminal activities.”
The visiting students, who toured the Maximum Security Prison, the Psychiatric Unit, and the Female Prison, were given a rare glimpse into a world that most only hear about in hushed tones. The programme, designed to deter youth from a life of crime, used Leah and Lavender’s stories as cautionary tales of how quickly a life can unravel.
A Growing Trend of Female Sex-Related Offences
Leah’s case, while unique in its execution, is part of a broader and more concerning trend in Zimbabwe where women are increasingly being jailed for sex-related offences. The legal landscape in the country is complex; under Zimbabwean criminal law, women cannot be charged with “rape” in the traditional sense, as the act is legally defined as requiring a male perpetrator. Instead, women who commit sexual acts against others are often charged with “aggravated indecent assault” or “sexual intercourse with a minor.”
Similarly, in Murewa, a 24-year-old woman was recently sentenced to an effective 26 months in jail after being convicted of having sexual intercourse with a minor. These cases have sparked intense debate across the country regarding gender equality in sentencing and the need for legal reforms to better address sexual violence committed by women.
The Mbare Factor: A Community Under Siege
To understand Leah Chikwekwe’s journey, one must understand the environment that shaped her. Mbare, once the vibrant heartbeat of Harare, is now a suburb under siege from economic hardship and a rampant drug epidemic. The flats where Leah carried out her con are notorious for their overcrowding and lack of basic services, creating a breeding ground for both crime and desperate measures.
The “sex-for-cash” trade is an open secret in many parts of the suburb, driven by a lack of employment opportunities and the rising cost of living. For Leah, the US$20 she conned from the “lula lula-starved” man represented a chance to enter the drug trade, a decision she now deeply regrets.
The police have been trying to reclaim the streets, with recent raids resulting in the arrest of suspected drug kingpins and the seizure of large quantities of illicit substances. However, as Leah’s story shows, the lure of “quick money” remains a powerful force for those living on the margins of society.
A Lesson for the Next Generation
As the St Ignatius College students boarded their bus to leave the prison grounds, the stories of Leah and Lavender lingered in the air. The image of two young women, both only 27, facing years behind bars for deals gone wrong, provided a powerful deterrent.
Leah’s final words to the students were a plea for them to value their freedom and their future. The “lula lula” deal that she thought would provide a quick windfall instead cost her the most precious thing she had: her liberty. In the harsh light of Chikurubi, the US$20 she stole seems like a pittance compared to the price she is now paying.
The wrath of the law, as Leah discovered, is patient but inevitable. For the man she conned, the night ended in humiliation and a lighter wallet. For Leah Chikwekwe, it ended in a prison cell, a place where the only thing she can now “check if it’s clear” is her conscience.