Online Reporter
Midlands Bureau
A 35-YEAR-OLD man from Zebediah Village under Chief Njelele in Gokwe has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after being convicted of attempted rape by a regional magistrate.
Kupakwashe Hore allegedly lured a girl aged between four and five from a nearby homestead to a field.
In a statement, the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe said a villager arrived at the scene and intervened before Hore raped the girl.
The villager immediately pushed Hore away before taking the child back to her mother.
The matter was reported to the Zimbabwe Republic Police in Gokwe and the victim was referred to Gokwe Hospital for medical examination.
Hore appeared before the Gokwe Magistrates Court where he was sentenced to an effective 15-year jail term.
Authorities commended the villager’s swift action, saying the intervention prevented the offence from escalating. The NPAZ reiterated its call for communities to remain vigilant and report child abuse cases immediately.
In a separate incident, a 44-year-old man from Chikangwe, Karoi, has been sentenced to an effective 12 months in prison after being convicted of theft.
Winners Mukangaza was found guilty of stealing goods belonging to a 32-year-old vendor from West View in Karoi.
According to the NPAZ, on April 11 at around 7pm, the complainant secured her merchandise, including snacks, biscuits, soft drinks and two cooler boxes, within a fenced area at Swift Complex before retiring for the night.
“Upon her return the following morning, the complainant discovered that her merchandise, valued at US$90, had been stolen,” said the NPAZ.
The stolen items included nine Mega snacks, eight packs of biscuits, several bottles of the Mirinda beverage and two cooler boxes.
On April 13, a witness was found in possession of one of the stolen cooler boxes, leading to investigations that resulted in Mukangaza’s arrest at a nightclub in the area on the same day.
The stolen property was later recovered.
