Online Reporter
Lovemore Kadzura
Weekender Reporter
A 32-YEAR-OLD man from Nyanga was sentenced to 15 years in prison for aggravated indecent assault after being found guilty of applying anointing oil and maize meal on his daughter privates under the guise of treating her discharge.
Mutare regional magistrate, Ms Phakathile Msipa convicted the man, whose name is being withheld to protect the victim’s identity, following a full trial where he denied the allegations.
Prosecutor, Mr Cuthbert Bosha, told the court that the offence was committed in 2024, and revealed by the complainant this year to her teacher, leading to the arrest of the perpetrator.
“The accused person is the complainant’s father. On a date unknown to the prosecutor, but during 2024, the complainant and the accused person were at their home while her step-mother was at the garden. The accused person took a book, which was written “Management of Periods,” and started reading while in his bedroom.
“During that time, he called the complainant, who was outside into his bedroom and ordered her to remove her undies and she complied. The accused person took some maize meal and anointing oil and mixed them before rubbing onto the complainant’s privates. He proceeded to abuse the minor using his finger, alleging he was treating her discharge.
“When he finished, he threatened the complainant with death if she revealed the ordeal to anyone. The complainant revealed the ordeal to her Guidance and Counselling teacher on June 20, 2025, who made a police report, leading to the arrest of the accused person,” said Mr Bosha.
The father was further sentenced to an additional three months for physically assaulting the victim for harvesting vegetables from the family garden without his consent.
“On June 22, 2025 at around 5pm, the complainant and accused person were at home, when the latter accused her of harvesting vegetables from their garden without his knowledge. He took a sjambok and assaulted the complainant all over her body. He shoved her against the wall. The victim escaped and proceeded to her school to seek refuge,” said Mr Bosha.
In a separate case, a 35-year-old Rusape man was sentenced to nine months in prison for indecently assaulting his 13-year-old stepdaughter.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe, the man had caressed the girl under the pretext of treating a skin condition.
“On June 25, 2025 around 5am, the offender woke the victim up from her bedroom to prepare for school. After the victim was done bathing, she went to her bedroom.
“The offender emerged with a substance he claimed was a remedy for a skin disease the victim suffered from. He informed the victim that he wanted to apply the substance to her body.
“He immediately spread the substance on his hands and placed his hand inside her T-shirt, spreading it on her chest, neck and breasts, fondling them in the process, under the guise of treating the skin disease.
“The offender removed the victim’s T-shirt, leaving her half naked and continued to fondle her breasts several times without her consent. He was also caressing her body. The victim later informed her teacher and the matter was reported to the police. The offender was sentenced to nine months in prison, of which three were suspended on the usual conditions for five years. He will serve an effective six months in jail,” said NPAZ.
