Online Reporter
Kimberley Chitambara [email protected]
A 25-year-old Inyathi man has been sentenced to three years in prison for having sex with his 14-year-old sister in-law, assaulting his wife and biting a member of the neighborhood watch committee who wanted to apprehend him.
Mike Ngwenya of Maqaqeni Village appeared before Bulawayo regional magistrate, Ms Sibonginkosi Mnkandla, facing three counts of having sexual intercourse with a young person, physical abuse and assault.
The magistrate sentenced Ngwenya to 36 months imprisonment of which six months were suspended for five years on count one, then six months on count two wholly suspended for five years and six months effective on count three.
The accused person is the complainant’s brother in law and the two were in a secret relationship.
Prosecuting, Ms Tsungai Mutapi told the court that sometime during the month of April last year, the complainant was alone at home sleeping in her bedroom when the accused person sneaked into the complainant’s bed and removed her clothes and proceeded to have sexual intercourse with her consent.
Another incident occurred during the month of December last year to a date unknown to the state. On this matter, the complainant is the wife to Ngwenya who is the accused.
“The complainant discovered a sexual relationship between the accused and her young sister, a female juvenile aged 14 years and she warned her to stop all this,” said Ms Mutapi.
The court heard that one day, the complainant saw her husband and her young sister having sexual intercourse, and she then assaulted the girl because of her behavior and Ngwenya then assaulted his wife for assaulting his sister in law. The complainant escaped to stay in Badala Village leaving the accused person and the minor staying together as wife and husband.
On January 5, 2026 and at around 7AM at Mahlabathini Village Vincent Sibanda of Inyathi Police Station and Thembani Sibanda, a member of neighborhood watch committee proceeded to arrest the accused person.
The court heard that upon arrival Ngwenya noticed them and he quickly fled into the bush. The two followed him until they caught up with him and he wrestled to escape and bit Thembani Sibanda on the left arm. He continued wrestling in a bid to escape until Vincent Sibanda overpowered him and he managed to arrest him.
