adminThandeka Moyo Court Reporter
A Nyamandlovu man was yesterday sentenced to 15 years in prison after being convicted of raping his niece, a Grade Seven pupil, at knifepoint.Majaivana Moyo, 30, was convicted of rape on his own plea of guilty by senior regional Magistrate Trynos Utahwashe on Monday.
Magistrate Utahwashe condemned rape saying it was a barbaric act that had no place in society.
“You violated your niece’s trust as her uncle and the court must play a role in curbing sexual abuse of girls by trusted relatives. You’re sentenced to 15 years in prison of which three are suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour,” he said.
Tinashe Dzipe for the State said on April 20 this year, Moyo and his father were left in custody of three children by Moyo’s mother as she was going to Bulawayo.
The children were Moyo’s nieces.
They all retired to bed at 9PM and the girl slept in a bedroom hut with her siblings while Moyo slept in the fields.
At around 3AM, Moyo entered the girl’s room and got into her blankets. He asked her to have intercourse with him and the girl refused.
Moyo produced a knife and threatened to slit her throat if she made any noise. He raped the girl once.
The girl’s younger sister started crying and she lit a torch and spotted Moyo. Moyo escaped before the girls could raise alarm.
A police report was made leading to Moyo’s arrest.
Appearing before the same court was an Inyathi teenager who was sentenced to eight years in prison for raping his brother’s 25-year-old girlfriend, a domestic worker.
Yenzani Ndebele, 19, found the woman studying and started a conversation with her before raping her. The woman was employed by his neighbours as a maid.
Senior regional magistrate Utahwashe said his age constituted strong mitigation though sexual crimes attracted stiffer sentences.
“The accused tried claiming that he was in love with the woman and denying rape charges but his defence counsel failed to prove that he’s not guilty of the crime. Rape is a violation of a woman’s privacy and rights, whether young or old, maid or anyone else,” said Magistrate Utahwashe.
He sentenced him to 12 years and suspended four years on condition of good behaviour.
Prosecutor Dzipe told the court that on February 21 this year at around 1PM, Ndebele approached the woman who was seated in her employer’s lounge studying.
He asked her if she was getting ready for exams and the woman responded in the affirmative.
The woman left the room and went into her employer’s bedroom to collect more reading material and Ndebele followed her.
“He entered the bedroom and closed the door before pushing the small built woman down. He undressed her with one hand while the other hand closed her mouth and raped her once,” said Dzipe.
Afterwards, the woman informed her employer who advised her to make a police report.
Online Reporter
Bongani Ndlovu