Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu [email protected]
A 38-YEAR-OLD man has been jailed 15 years for raping a woman and robbing her of R400 and her cellphone.
Phumulani Moyo from Esigodini pleaded not guilty to rape and robbery charges but was convicted due to overwhelming evidence by Gwanda regional magistrate, Mrs Sithembiso Ndebele.
He was sentenced to 18 years imprisonment of which three years were suspended on condition that he does not commit a similar offence within the next five years. He will serve an effective 15 year jail sentence.
Prosecuting, Mr Ngonidzashe Shumba said Moyo followed the complainant from Ntabende Business Centre and went on to attack her while she was on her way home.
”On 11 August at around 8PM, Moyo went into a shop where the complainant works at Ntabende Business Centre and proposed love to her. The complainant turned down the proposal and told the accused person to leave as she wanted to close the shop.
“Moyo left the shop and the complainant remained behind locking up. She joined her friend who works at another shop and the business centre and they proceeded home,” he said.
Mr Shumba said Moyo followed the complainant and her friend from a distance. He said when the two women noticed that the accused person was following them they stopped and confronted him.
Mr Shumba said the accused person produced a knife and grabbed the complainant while her friend fled from the scene to get assistance. He said the accused person raped the complainant before robbing her.
“Moyo held the knife to the complainant’s neck and threatened to kill her if she didn’t comply. He ordered the complainant to remove her clothes and he went on to rape her.
“The accused person then searched the complainant’s handbag and took R400 and a cellphone. The accused person fled from the scene as he heard some people approaching,” he said.
Mr Shumba said the complainant’s friend arrived with some villagers that she had alerted. They tried to pursue the accused person but he had fled. He said the matter was reported to the police leading to the arrest of the accused person.
In his defence the accused person denied raping the complainant saying that she had consented as they were in a love relationship.
“The complainant is my girlfriend Your Worship as I had proposed love to her and she agreed. On the day in question I passed through her shop and she asked me to escort her home. I found her gone and then followed her only to find her with her friend. I asked her friend to excuse us and she refused and later she ran away disgruntled,” he said.
-@DubeMatutu
