Online Reporter
Prosper Dembedza
Herald Correspondent
A HARARE man was last Friday sentenced to 100 years in jail after he was found guilty on 18 counts of theft and two rape charges.
Issa Siyabu was convicted after a full trial by Harare regional magistrate Ms Loice Mukunyadze.
In her ruling, the magistrate said the State, led by Mrs Shambadzeni Fungura, managed to prove a prima facie case against Siyabu.
Mrs Fungura proved that on November 21, 2021, and at number 3 The Fold Road, Mt Pleasant, Harare, Siyabu went to Pauline Muzhewe’s house, where he forcefully opened the kitchen door, using an unknown object to gain entry into the house and stole two Lenovo laptops and a Lenovo tablet and went away unnoticed.
The court heard that on March 3 2022, Siyabvu went to number 33 Epping Road in Mt Pleasant, Harare and unlawfully, intentionally and without permission or authority entered Anesu Musvosvi’s house by cutting the veranda screen door, sliding door padlock key, using unknown object to gain into the house and stole six pairs of formal shoes, various clothes, cash US$300, Acer laptop and ipad tablet cellphone and went away unnoticed.
Mrs Fungura proved that on another count which occurred in March 2023 at number 10 Sable Street in Borrowdale West, Harare, Siyabu broke into Maylan Matsinde’s house through the lounge aluminum door using an unknown object where he stole a five-inch Samsung Television, 55 Inch Toshiba Toshiba television, 20 pairs of suits, 50 pairs of shirts, several ties, before vanishing from the scene.
In one of the rape counts, it was the State’s case that on January 7, 2024, at number 122 The Chase Road in Mt Pleasant, Siyabu raped a woman who was in the house.
Siyabu used the same modus operandi to steal and rape another victim before he was arrested.
