By Takudziridzwa Nyama
A 62-year-old man from Old Pumula in Bulawayo has been jailed for 20 years for raping his 18-year-old niece.
It is the State’s case that the accused grabbed the complainant by the hand and forced her into his bedroom where he raped her. He also pulled a knife from his pocket, threatened to stab and kill her if she screamed or made any noise. He was charged and sentenced by Bulawayo Magistrate Court.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ), the complainant went to the accused person’s place to look after the kids whilst the accused person’s wife was away. The accused arrived from work at around 1800 hours and called complainant into his bedroom.
He gave her ZAR100, so that she would send his kids to the shops to buy groceries, but she decided to go herself. Later, they all retired to bed. At around 2300 hours, the accused awakened the complainant and called her to his bedroom on the excuse that he wanted to give her money for lunch for the following day.
He grabbed the complainant by the hand and forced her into his bedroom where he raped her. He pulled a knife from his pocket, threatened to stab and kill her if she screamed or made any noise.
He told her that “she was now a woman and she should get ready for him to pay lobola for her”.
The accused person’s wife also tried to persuade the complainant to be the accused person’s second wife on the 13th of September but she refused. A police report was eventually made, leading to the arrest of the accused person.