Heinous Crimes Punished: 30-Year-Old Man Sentenced to 60 Years for Repeated Rapes in Zaka
In a strong message against ƨǝxuɑl violence, the Chiredzi Magistrates’ Court has sentenced a 30-year-old man from the Chief Nyakunhuwa area in Zaka to a total of 60 years in prison for committing four counts of rape.
The shocking incidents, which took place over the course of two years, involved the abuse of two vulnerable victims – a 13-year-old girl and a 42-year-old woman.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe, the crimes began in April 2021 when the accused, taking advantage of the young girl’s isolated situation, attacked her as she was fetching firewood in a nearby bush. He knocked down her bundle of firewood, tripped her to the ground, and then proceeded to rape her at knifepoint.
Tragically, this was not an isolated incident. The court heard that the man went on to rape the young girl on three more occasions, using threats and the fear of violence to keep her silent. It was only in August 2023, when the victim’s mother returned from Harare, that the matter was finally reported to the police.
The accused’s depraved actions did not stop there. In September 2021, he also targeted a 42-year-old woman, ambushing her on her way back from the borehole and brutally raping her at knifepoint.
The 30-year-old man was sentenced to 15 years in prison for each count of rape, with 30 years of the sentence suspended. He will serve an effective 30-year term behind bars.
This harsh sentence sends a clear message that such heinous crimes will not be tolerated, and that justice will prevail for victims of ƨǝxuɑl violence in Zimbabwe.
