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A 22-year-old man from Beitbridge was sentenced to 15 years in prison for attempting to rape his stepmother under the guise of requesting washing powder.
The unnamed perpetrator appeared before a Beitbridge magistrate and was found guilty of attempted rape.
The court heard that on September 15, 2024, around 6am, the victim was asleep in her bedroom when the culprit knocked on her door. She allowed him to enter, but when he asked for washing powder, she offered him money to purchase it later.
He returned after some time and opened the door without knocking. He peeped and shut the door, then left.
The perpetrator came back again, opened the door and walked towards the victim, who was still in the blankets. He moved around the room and closed the door.
The victim immediately jumped out of bed and stood on her feet before the culprit pulled down his trousers, charged towards the complainant and tripped her.
He removed the victim’s skirt and tried to rape her. They wrestled until a neighbour intervened, shouting his name and demanding that he stop.
The perpetrator stopped when he realised people had gathered outside.
The victim reported the incident to the police, leading to the culprit’s arrest. — Bulawayo Bureau
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27-year-old kills mother over bath
A SUSPECTED mentally challenged man allegedly attacked his mother with a pot, leading to her death.
The victim, Prisca Hombarume (54), from Nkulumane suburb in Bulawayo, had asked her son, Joshua Muchemwa (27), to take a bath, which angered him.
He became aggressive, prompting her to seek assistance from the police.
When Hombarume, in the company of her tenant, attempted to report the matter to the police, Muchemwa pursued them, wielding two pots. He struck the tenant, who escaped with minor injuries and alerted the authorities.
Hombarume was not as fortunate and was fatally injured in the attack.
“The tenant managed to escape with minor injuries and ran to the police station. The granny tried to run away but Muchemwa was all over her, striking her with a pot. The granny fell to the ground and bled from the head and nose. She later died at the scene,” a source said.
Mourners recently gathered at the family home to pay their respects. A family representative, Muzukuru Hombarume, declined to comment, saying family members had decided against speaking to the media.
Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube confirmed the incident and urged families caring for mentally challenged individuals to monitor them closely and ensure they receive appropriate medication. — B-Metro
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Life sentence for murder of 11-year-old
A 34-year-old Pretoria man, Conwell Mongezi Chauke, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for fatally stabbing an 11-year-old girl, Khothatso Welhelmina Tshabalala, 66 times.
The Pretoria High Court handed down the sentence on September 16, 2024.
Chauke, a resident of Loftus Gardens, was also sentenced to six years in jail for kidnapping the girl. The sentences will run concurrently, and he has been declared unfit to possess a firearm.
The horrific incident occurred on December 29, 2020 at the girl’s home in Mamelodi East. On that day, Khothatso’s mother received a call from Chauke, who was a member of her prayer group.
Chauke threatened the mother over the phone because she had refused to meet with him the previous day. He believed she was dismissing him, as he was interested in a romantic relationship with her.
Later that afternoon, Chauke went to Mamelodi East, where the child and her mother lived.
He found the girl playing outside with her younger sister and a neighbour’s child.
Chauke lured the minor away under the pretence of wanting to collect his belongings.
Once inside the house, he stabbed the child 66 times. He covered her body with linen and fled the scene. When neighbours could not find the minor, they searched her home and found the body on her bed.
Two days after the incident, on December 31, 2020, Chauke turned himself in at the Lyttleton Police Station.
He has been detained ever since.
He admitted to the murder but denied kidnapping Khothatso. He blamed his actions on his resentment towards the child’s mother.
The state presented evidence proving that Chauke had indeed lured and kidnapped the child.
During sentencing proceedings, his legal representative requested the court to consider the three years he spent in prison awaiting trial.
While Chauke has previous theft convictions, this was his first violent crime.
The state prosecutor, advocate Sipho Lalane, argued in aggravation of sentence that Chauke’s plea of guilty did not reflect genuine remorse. Lalane emphasised the seriousness of the crime and the prevalence of such acts in the country.
Chauke’s brutal attack on a defenceless and vulnerable minor, motivated by his rejection by the child’s mother, was a heinous act that violated the deceased person’s constitutional right to life.
Two victim impact statements from the deceased’s mother and sister highlighted the profound psychological and emotional trauma they had endured.
Judge Jacobus Johannes Strijdom agreed with the state’s assessment, finding Chauke guilty of a heinous crime that posed a significant threat to society. — Wires
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Show-off robber gets 84 years for bus heist
A robber’s attempt to impress a bar lady backfired spectacularly, leading to his arrest and an 84-year prison sentence.
Saul Dadirayi (23) will spend the next several decades behind bars after stealing nearly US$6 000 during an armed robbery on a Blue Circle Bus.
Hoping to flaunt his ill-gotten gains, Dadirayi displayed a pistol and a bag of money in a bar at Neshuro Business Centre in Mwenezi. Instead of being impressed, the bar lady alerted the police, leading to his swift capture just hours after the heist.
Last week, regional magistrate Judith Zuyu sentenced Dadirayi to 84 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to the robbery.
Prosecutors said Dadirayi and his accomplices stole a total of US$5 932; 66 170 rand and other valuables from the bus passengers.
Dadirayi’s suspected accomplices — Talent Mlaudzi (20), Ashton Siziba (26) and Phineas Shumba (25) — all pleaded not guilty and were remanded in custody, with their trial set to continue soon. Another accomplice, Elphase Magugudze, remains at large.
On July 17, 2024, the group travelled to Harare, leaving Magugudze at the Vilivili Bus Stop near Rutenga.
The next day, the four boarded a Blue Circle Bus at Mbudzi, paying US$8 each for their journey back to Beitbridge.
Around 4am, on July 18, as the bus neared Vilivili, Shumba approached the conductor and asked to disembark.
Magugudze, armed with a C75 9mm pistol, then boarded the bus and handed the weapon to Siziba. With the gun in hand, Siziba ordered the driver to pull off the road and switch off the lights, taking the bus to a secluded area.
Dadirayi and Mlaudzi, armed with Okapi knives, joined Siziba in terrorising the passengers, stealing cash and valuables before disembarking.
The robbers fired shots in the air as they disappeared into the night.
Later that same day, the trio was arrested after Dadirayi tried to impress a bar lady at Neshuro Business Centre by showing her the pistol and a large sum of money.
Unimpressed, the woman immediately notified the police, who swiftly intercepted the suspects. Officers recovered a pistol with two live rounds, Blue Circle Bus tickets and part of the stolen money.
Mlaudzi was arrested the following day, while Magugudze remains on the run.
So far, the authorities have only recovered R7 000 and US$550 of the stolen loot. — Wires
Online Reporter