Online Reporter
Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, [email protected]
A 32-YEAR-OLD Esigodini man has been jailed for an effective 18 years for raping his 59-year-old neighbour.
Bhekimpilo Nyoni from Thuthukani Village pleaded not guilty to a charge of rape but was convicted due to overwhelming evidence by Gwanda regional magistrate, Ms Sithembiso Ndebele.
Prosecuting, Mr Ngonidzashe Shumba said on January 20, Nyoni found the complainant alone at her homestead.
“On January 20 at around 2PM, the accused person passed through the complainant’s home looking for his friend, the woman’s nephew, from whom her intended to collect his money. The complainant told the accused person that her nephew was not around,” he said.
The court heard that Nyoni refused to leave and accused the complainant of hiding her nephew.
“The complainant alerted a male neighbour, who ordered the accused person to leave and he complied.
“On the same day, at around 9PM, the accused person returned to the complainant’s homestead while drunk,” said Mr Shumba.
The court heard that Nyoni knocked on the door and told the complainant that he wanted to see her nephew.
Mr Shumba said the complainant opened the door and told Nyoni that her nephew was not at home. The complainant ordered Nyoni to leave her homestead and return when her nephew was back.
The court heard that Nyoni pushed the door and gained entry into the complainant’s bedroom hut.
The accused person ordered the complainant to either pay the money owed by her nephew or have sexual intercourse with him, accusing the complainant of spending his money with her nephew.
“The accused person threatened to attack the complainant with the axe if she screamed. He grabbed the complainant and pushed her onto the bed and raped her,” said the prosecutor.
The accused person threatened to kill the complainant if he revealed the matter to anyone before he fled.
The court heard that the complainant went to her neighbour’s homestead, where she narrated her ordeal. The matter was reported to the police leading to Nyoni’s arrest.
-@DubeMatutu.
