BY NKOSENTSHA KHUMALO A 21-YEAR-OLD man from Shangani, Matabeleland South province, was last Thursday sentenced to 12 years in prison by Bulawayo regional magistrate Rose Dube for raping and impregnating his 18-year-old neighbour.
The man (name withheld to protect the woman) will, however, serve eight years after four years were suspended on condition of good behaviour.
After being found guilty on two counts of rape and assault, the man was also slapped with another six-month jail term for an assault offence.
State prosecutor Patience Dube said sometime in November last year, while the 18-year-old woman was going to fetch water at a borehole she came across the rapist who blocked her way.
It is alleged that the woman was the rapist’s former girlfriend he dated since childhood.
The rapist, who was armed with an axe, demanded to have sex with the woman and threatened to kill her if she refused.
He raped her while holding an axe in his right hand.
On other different occasions, the assailant would follow her when she went to look for firewood in the bush and each time he raped her he threatened to kill her.
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On the assault case, the State said during the same month, the rapist went to the woman’s homestead and demanded to have sex with her and she refused and he beat her up with a stick, leaving her bruised.
The matter was reported at Shangani Police Station, leading to his arrest.
The rapist, however, denied the charges and claimed that he owed the woman’s mother US$5 for alcohol since 2020. He said they were trying to fix him for the debt.
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