Online Reporter
Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
A 40-YEAR-OLD man, who took a 14-year-old child from her parents’ house in Odzi without the knowledge of her parents, was arrested at Sakubva Bus Terminus while intending to board a bus to Chipinge, where he wanted to force the minor in a marriage with his South Africa-based son.
This emerged on Friday when Lovemore Sithole was arraigned before Mutare Magistrate’s Court, charged with trafficking of a person as defined in Section 3 (1) (a) (ii) as read with Section 3 (2) of the Trafficking in Persons Act (Chapter 9:23).
Regional magistrate, Mrs Pathekhile Msipa, found Sithole guilty of the offence, and sentenced him to 10 years in jail.
Prosecutor, Miss Perseverance Musukuto, told the court that Sithole resides at Arda Transa, in Odzi.
Miss Musukuto said the complainant was aged 14, residing at Arda Transau Odzi, and doing Form One at a local school.
The court heard that Sithole and the complainant are not related.
Miss Musukuto told the court that on December 20, 2025 around 8pm, at Arda Transau, Sithole took the complainant from her parents’ house without her parents’ knowledge, intending to go with her to Chipinge, and marry her to his son who stays in South Africa.
The complainant’s parents received a tip-off and made a follow-up, leading to the arrest of the accused person at Sakubva Bus Terminus ona their way to Chipinge with the complainant.
