Online Reporter
Musawenkosi Moyo
A 25-YEAR-OLD farm worker from Dangabakwe Village, Ward 6 in Filabusi, Matabeleland South Province, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for raping and impregnating his employer’s 13-year-old granddaughter.
Mduduzi Moyo appeared before Bulawayo regional magistrate Beverly Madzikatire, charged with one count of rape.
He pleaded not guilty but was convicted after a full trial and sentenced to 15 years in prison.
In his defence, Moyo claimed the charges were false and orchestrated by the grandmother, who was upset at him for refusing to marry one of her granddaughters.
“She wanted me to marry one of her granddaughters, but I rejected the offer because I was already in a relationship with another woman whom I wanted to marry,” he said.
He further stated that the issue began after he introduced his girlfriend to the grandmother, who became upset and began refusing to pay his salary.
He also requested DNA tests to establish that he was not the father of the child.
In sentencing, the court considered the psychological and physical trauma the minor faced, the 12-year age difference between the complainant and the accused, and the fact that the complainant is now burdened with motherhood at such a young age.
It also took into account that Moyo put the complainant at risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases through unprotected sexual intercourse.
The minor referred to the accused as “uncle,” highlighting a breach of trust.
The court heard that sometime in March 2024, in Inyathi, the complainant, who was visiting her grandmother during school vacation, was sitting in the dining room when the accused entered to get water.
He approached the complainant, pushed her down onto the sofa, removed her trousers and panties, and raped her.
The court heard that the accused covered the minor’s mouth with his hand to silence her screams and, after the rape, threatened to stab her with a knife if she told anyone.
The matter came to light on October 6, 2024, when a church member noticed the complainant was pregnant.
The church member informed the complainant’s mother, who then confronted her. The minor narrated her ordeal, and a police report was made, leading to Moyo’s arrest.
