Knife-point rapist jailed

Mashudu Netsianda, Senior Court Reporter
A HERDSMAN who waylaid his employer’s 15-year-old daughter as she was coming from school and raped her at knife point resulting in the girl falling pregnant has been sentenced to 16 years in jail.

Hloniphani Mpofu, 30, of Mbembeswana village in Inyathi, was yesterday convicted of three counts of rape by Bulawayo regional magistrate Mark Dzira. Mpofu raped his employer’s daughter for three consecutive days.

He will serve an effective 12 years in jail after four years were suspended for five years on condition that he does not within that period commit a similar offence.

Dzira, in his ruling, expressed concern over the increase in rape cases.

“You raped your employer’s daughter while she was coming from school. In fact, what is aggravating is that instead of protecting the victim, you betrayed the trust bestowed on you by her parents and raped her,” said Dzira.

The magistrate said rape was a traumatising experience which would haunt the victim for the rest of her life.

“What you did will certainly haunt the victim for the rest of her life. People like you need to go to jail for a very long time to deter others,” ruled Dzira.

Prosecuting, Tinashe Dzipe said between February 24 and 27 this year, Mpofu waylaid the victim as she was coming from school and raped her.

“On February 24 at about 6PM, the victim was coming from school when she was confronted by Mpofu who was armed with a knobkerrie and knife,” said Dzipe.

The court heard that Mpofu ordered the girl to follow him to a nearby bush where he undressed her before raping her. After committing the crime, Mpofu threatened to assault the victim if she reported the matter to anyone.

On the following day at about 7PM, Mpofu again waylaid the girl as she was coming from school. He ordered her to accompany him to the bush where he raped her again.

Mpofu repeated the same act on February 27. The girl suspected that she was pregnant and informed her mother who then quizzed her until she revealed that she had been raped by Mpofu.

The victim was taken to hospital for examination and a medical report which was compiled proved that there was penetration.

The matter was reported to the police leading to Mpofu’s arrest.