Online Reporter
Moreblessing Ncube
SHOCK and outrage have gripped Matopo after a 29-year-old miner allegedly raped a 64-year-old woman.
Brandon Ndlovu of Hillside in Bulawayo, who works at Esikhosini Mine in Matopo, appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Taurai Manwere charged with rape. He was remanded in custody until 15 October for sentencing.
Prosecuting, Jethro Mada said the horrific incident occurred on 1 July around 7 PM near the Good Enough Mine turn-off in Matopo.
Mada told the court that the elderly woman was walking home when Ndlovu called her over. When she got close, he allegedly grabbed her and dragged her into a nearby bushy area.
He threatened to kill her if she screamed or resisted. Overpowered and terrified, the 64-year-old woman was forced to remove her clothes and lie on her back. Ndlovu then allegedly raped her.
Not done, the accused reportedly marched the shaken woman back to his car and sexually assaulted her two more times.
The traumatised victim later reported the ordeal to the police, leading to Ndlovu’s swift arrest.
In court, Ndlovu appeared calm and emotionless as the prosecutor detailed how he violated the pensioner in what police described as one of the most disturbing cases to hit the Matopo area this year.
Police have since urged women in rural areas to avoid walking alone at night and to report suspicious behaviour near mining sites, which have become hotspots for violent crimes.
