Chronicle Editor
Fairness Moyana in Hwange
A 20-year-old man from Hwange in Matabeleland North has been sentenced to an effective 15 years in jail for sexually abusing his cousin for three years.
Hwange regional magistrate Mr Mark Dzira convicted the man (who cannot be named to protect the identity of the victim).
In passing the sentence, the magistrate also lashed out at the girl’s father for failing to take action after his daughter reported the abuse to him.
“It is disappointing to note that the accused took advantage of the complainant who is his cousin and sexually abused her for three years. What is even more shocking is the fact that the father didn’t report the matter despite the complainant having alerted him, which is quite disheartening,” said Mr Dzira.
The accused was arrested following a tip-off from a member of the public.
Prosecuting, Mr Thulani Ncube said sometime in 2021, the complainant who is from Jotsholo visited his father, sister and the accused person in Hwange during the school holidays.
The court heard that during that period, her father and sister would go to work leaving the complainant with the accused person.
“On an unknown date during the school holidays, the complainant and accused were alone at home. As the complainant was walking past the accused’s bedroom, he dragged her and took him to his bedroom where he raped her,” said Mr Ncube.
When the complainant tried to scream accused covered her mouth. The victim later narrated her ordeal to her sister who in turn informed their father.
The complainant also told her father about the matter but he didn’t take any action until the girl went back to Jotsholo upon the reopening of schools.
The court heard that in 2022, the complainant was transferred from Jotsholo to a school in Hwange, and during that time, the accused had gone to South Africa.
The accused later returned and continued sexually abusing the victim on several occasions.
The complainant was later transferred back to Jotsholo the following year but would visit her father during the school holidays. The accused continued to rape the complainant on different occasions.
The victim reported the matter to her father for the second time, but he didn’t take action and brushed the issue aside.
On January 10 this year, police received a tip-off and instituted investigations which led to the accused person’s arrest.
The complainant was taken to St Luke’s Hospital for examination where a medical report was compiled and produced in court as evidence.
Meanwhile, child rights activists are calling for the arrest of the victim’s father’s arrest on charges of aiding the accused person.
Online Reporter