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Marvelous Moyo Gwanda Correspondent
A 30-YEAR-OLD Gwanda man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for raping his church mate’s 19-year-old daughter who is deaf, dumb and mentally challenged. Jephias Ndlovu of Switsha village in Guyu area under Chief Nhlamba yesterday appeared before Gwanda regional magistrate Mr Joseph Mabeza facing rape charges.
Ndlovu pleaded not guilty but was convicted and sentenced to 10 years in prison of which two years were suspended for five years on condition that within that period he does not commit a similar offence.
On 23 November last year, Ndlovu passed by the complainant’s homestead on his way to evening prayers at Nsimbi area.
Ndlovu together with the complainant’s mother and other church members left the complainant’s home for the prayers leaving the complainant alone.
After walking for some distance on their way to the venue of prayers, Ndlovu turned off the path into the bush as if he was going to relieve himself while the complainant’s mother and other church members continued with the journey.
However, Ndlovu did not return from the bush to join others.
Some of the worried church members decided to find out where Ndlovu was and not seeing him in the bush, they tracked him back to the complainant’s home.
On arrival at the complainant’s home, the search team peeped through the complainant’s bedroom window and saw Ndlovu busy raping the complainant.
They asked Ndlovu what he was doing in the complainant’s hut and he responded by saying he was not doing anything, but was sleeping.
The search team guarded the complainant’s hut until her mother and others returned from the evening prayers.
The complainant’s mother was informed of what Ndlovu had been found doing.
Ndlovu’s relatives were called in to witness the incident and they found Ndlovu still in the complainant’s hut.
The matter was reported to the police leading to the arrest of Ndlovu.
Mr Johannes Tlou prosecuted.
derick.khumalo
Online Reporter