A 38-YEAR-OLD HIV-positive Harare woman, Faith Gona, has been jailed for 20 years for engaging in commercial sex activities with teenage boys from her Highfield community.
CHARLES LAITON
Gona was sentenced last Friday after regional magistrate Hosea Mujaya found her guilty of bedding two boys aged 14 and 15 years after they would have paid her in kind or $3 for each encounter.
According to the facts presented in court, Gona started her sexual escapades with the minors sometime in December last year until late January this year.
The court heard that during the material time, the two victims were introduced to Gona by their 17-year-old friend who had had several sexual encounters with the woman.
The magistrate heard that each time the boys visited Gona for sex, she would ask them to pay cash upfront for the act and provide condoms for protection.
One of the victims, a 15-year-old boy, is said to have been paying for Gona’s sexual favours by offering her clothes which he would have stolen from his grandmother.
The court heard the matter came to light when the boy’s grandmother quizzed him over the disappearance of her clothes prompting the teenager to spill the beans, leading to the woman’s arrest.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
In his judgment, Mujaya said: “The boys said initially the accused [Gona] demanded $5 from them, but they pleaded with her to reduce the price and she charged them $3 each. However, the other boy [the 15-year-old one] had no cash, but would bring clothes stolen from his grandmother to pay for sex.”
The magistrate also said the other boy who gave evidence in court as a witness told the court that he failed to have sex with Gona because he could not afford to raise the required payment.
The court heard that although the State only chose to prosecute Gona over two complainants, she was also said to have had sexual encounters with other boys, one of whom testified as a witness and not complainant in the matter.
