admin
Mejury Magaya, Midlands Reporter
A 35-year-old man from Gweru who broke into a premise in Redcliff and robbed the owner before raping her has been jailed for 30 years.
Simbarashe Muwaniki appeared before Gweru regional magistrate Mrs Phathekile Msipa facing one count of unlawful entry, a count of robbery and another of rape.
He pleaded not guilty to unlawful entry, robbery and rape. However, the magistrate convicted him after a full trial and sentenced him to 30 years in prison.
He will serve an effective jail term of 23 years and six months after part of the sentence was conditionally suspended.
On the first count he was sentenced to five years, on the second to five years of which one year was suspended on condition that he does not within that period commit an offence involving violence, a further six months were suspended on condition that he restitutes the complainant the sum of RTGS$12 and US$80 before 30 January this year.
On the third count he was sentenced to 20 years of which five years were suspended on condition he does not within that period commit an offence of a similar nature.
In delivering sentence Mrs Msipa said Muwaniki committed serious offences and was not remorseful as he even changed names to escape the charges.
“Muwaniki showed total disrespect to the complainant who is married as he did not use any protection exposing her to diseases and the complainant now suffers shame and stigmatisation in society. He deserves nothing short of a stiff sentence,” said the magistrate.
It was the State’s case as presented by prosecutor, Mr Kelvin Guvheya that on the first count, on 30 April last year at about 3am Muwaniki unlawfully entered the complainant’s house by forcing the kitchen door open using an iron bar. While inside he proceeded to the bedroom where he ordered the complainant to remove all her passwords and took her cellphone threatening to kill her with the iron bar.
The court was further told that Muwaniki told the complainant that he wanted US dollars and he took US$80 and RTGS$12 from a wallet which was in the wardrobe.
After robbing the complainant, he then ordered her to remove her clothes and raped her once before he disappeared into the thick of the night.
A report was made to the police leading to his arrest and subsequent appearance in court.
Londile Moyo