A 39-year-old inmate at Chikurubi Maximum Prison, Brian Shereni, is facing sodomy charges after allegedly sexually assaulting a fellow prisoner.
Shereni appeared before Harare magistrate Marehwanazvo Gofa last Thursday. The prosecution, led by Anesu Chirenje, alleges that the incident occurred on October 29th in Cell E, where Shereni and the complainant shared a cell.
According to the prosecution, Shereni took advantage of the complainant, who was asleep and naked, to sodomise him without protection. The complainant awoke to a sharp pain and screamed, alerting other inmates who intervened.
The matter was subsequently reported to Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services officers, leading to a police report and Shereni’s arrest. This incident is the latest in a series of concerning cases highlighting the issue of sexual abuse within Zimbabwean prisons.
This case is not an isolated incident. Just a few months ago, two inmates at Khami Maximum Prison in Bulawayo, Godwin Dlomo and Gilbert Shonai, faced charges for engaging in consensual anal sex, an act prohibited under Zimbabwean law.
The case came to light when Shonai, serving a sentence for rape, reported experiencing anal pain and revealed the consensual sexual act with Dlomo to prison guards. The details of Dlomo’s sentence were not disclosed in court.
Prosecutor Audrey Kufandikamwe outlined the state’s case, stating, “The matter came to light when the second accused experienced anal pain and subsequently disclosed that he had engaged in consensual anal sex with the first accused person.”
Further highlighting the prevalence of sexual abuse in Zimbabwean prisons, three inmates from Harare Central Remand Prison were arrested in August for aggravated indecent assault. Kingswell Ngwerume (32), Kudakwashe Mazorodze (35), and Lazurus Chinobhururuka (40) appeared before Harare magistrate Marehwanazvo Gofa on August 22nd. The alleged incident occurred on August 11th when the three accused and a 20-year-old complainant were in their cells.
The state’s case details how Mazorodze allegedly directed the complainant to Cell C2, where Ngwerume and Chinobhururuka were located. The complainant awoke during the night to find Ngwerume touching him inappropriately. Upon resisting, the complainant was allegedly assaulted by all three accused.
Chinobhururuka then allegedly forced the complainant to drink from a bottle, causing him to become dizzy, before the three men took turns sexually assaulting him. The following morning, the complainant reported the incident to a prison officer, who took him to the hospital.
