A 77-year-old grandmother refused to become an easy target when a man allegedly forced his way into her bedroom, put a knife to her throat and attempted to rape her.
The brave grandmother fought back, managed to grab the knife and screamed for help, forcing her attacker to flee.
The Tsholotsho woman’s name is being withheld to protect her identity.
Amos Sidingani (54) appeared before Bulawayo regional magistrate Sibonginkosi Mkandla charged with attempted rape.
He, however, denied the charge.
“I did not commit the crime,” he said.
“The complainant told this court that on the day in question it was dark, so how could she see that it was me?”
However, the complainant gave a detailed account of how she came face-to-face with her assailant.
She told the court that she was asleep in her bedroom hut at her homestead in Luhonja Line, Sipepa, when she heard a noise at the door.
“I heard a noise at the door and switched on my flashlight,” she said.
“I saw the accused standing by the door wearing a long black jacket, a white T-shirt and faded pink trousers.”
The court heard that Sidingani allegedly moved towards her, produced a knife and placed it against her throat.
“He ordered me to keep quiet and threatened to kill me with the knife,” the complainant testified.
Instead of surrendering, she fought back.
The State successfully proved that Sidingani pushed her onto the bed and tried to rape her, but she resisted and screamed for help.
Her screams alerted neighbours, forcing the assailant to flee the homestead. The complainant told the court that neighbours tracked footprints from the scene, which led them straight to Sidingani’s home.
She noted that his shirt was stained with blood.
The investigating officer corroborated her testimony, telling the court that Sidingani was wearing the same long black jacket at the time of his arrest and that his shirt was indeed bloodstained.
“When we arrested him, his shirt had bloodstains and he was wearing a black jacket,” the investigating officer testified.
Sidingani is expected back in court for sentencing. — Matabeleland North Bureau
