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A MAN from Mberengwa has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after he was convicted of the brutal rape of a 90-year-old grandmother.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe, the despicable crime occurred on June 11, 2024.
The 50-year-old man cannot be named to protect the identity of the victim.
The State successfully proved that on the day in question, the man knocked on the victim’s door at 9pm, pretending to be her grandson.
The quick-witted grandmother, however, refused to open the door after failing to recognise the voice.
Undeterred, the man “forcefully entered the victim’s bedroom, pushed her to the ground and had sexual intercourse with the complainant without her consent”.
Her desperate cries for help went unheard.
The next morning, she managed to report her ordeal to a neighbour, who helped her file a police report. — Bulawayo Bureau
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Goblins dispute turns violent
Binga villagers were left shell-shocked after four men went berserk at the Chenego Business Centre, accusing their relatives of blocking the rehiring of a prophet to banish goblins that were allegedly tormenting the family.
The bizarre drama broke out at a heated family meeting presided over by Chief Pashu.
Instead of reaching a solution, fists, switches and boots flew.
Emmanuel Mupande, Taziba Mupande, Luyezyo Sibanda and Nyasha Magedi turned violent, attacking their relatives one by one.
The court heard that the dispute erupted when some family members refused to enlist a prophet known only as Malucky, who had once been hired to drive out the mystical creatures.
The accused men felt the prophet should return to “finish the job”, but their relatives disagreed.
Angered, the four men attacked Sinda Munsaka, lashing him with an electrical switch before punching and kicking him. He fled to the police station to report the assault.
The accused hunted down more relatives and beat them viciously. Kostel Munsaka was struck in the forehead, kicked and pummelled. She eventually managed to escape.
Next was Eselia Muleya. She was beaten with a switch, punched and then force-marched to Sinda’s homestead, where one of the attackers even threatened to hit him with an axe.
The violence continued when they confronted Esther Munsaka, accusing her of taking sides. She, too, was whipped with a switch, punched and kicked until she ran to safety.
Police were eventually called in, leading to the arrest of the violent quartet.
In court, all four pleaded not guilty. However, Binga magistrate Fungai Dzimiri found them guilty on four counts of assault.
All charges were treated as one for sentencing.
Each man was handed a 12-month prison sentence.
Four months were suspended for five years on the condition of good behaviour, while the remaining eight months were set aside for 280 hours of community service at Mabale Clinic.
The court heard that some victims were left badly traumatised and still fear fresh attacks if the goblins dispute resurfaces. — Bulawayo Bureau
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Triple murder charge for Hurungwe man
A villager from Hurungwe is being charged with the murder of three people, including a four-year-old child.
Patrick Gono Makufa (38), from Makone village, under Chief Mujinga, appeared at the Karoi Magistrates’ Court facing three counts of murder following a brutal attack that occurred on August 24.
The victims were identified as Costain Mabheka (55), who was partially blind; his four-year-old child, Kunashe; and 19-year-old Atildah Mharadze.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ), Makufa, who reportedly has mental health challenges, allegedly armed himself with a wooden axe handle before going berserk.
“He struck the adult male at his homestead, attacked the child while he was playing in the yard and later assaulted the young woman as she carried a bucket from the river,” the NPAZ said.
The tragic discovery was made by a 13-year-old relative, who returned from herding cattle, only to find the victims lying in pools of blood.
Detectives later recovered the bloodstained axe handle after the accused led them to it.
Witness testimonies also connected him to the killings.
Makufa was remanded in custody until September 9 and was instructed to apply for bail at the High Court. — Mashonaland West Bureau
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Machete-wielding man jailed over goat meat argument
A 19-year-old Chipinge man has been sentenced to nine years in prison for attempting to kill a vendor in a fight over goat meat.
On August 12, 2024, Spencer Khosa became incensed when a 44-year-old vendor at Busy Corner Bottle Store in Chisumbanje township told him a piece of cooked goat meat cost R3 (US$0,17).
“When the victim told him not to waste his time if he didn’t have the money, the offender became enraged,” said the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe in a statement.
Khosa grabbed the man by the collar, shoved him to the ground, then stormed into the bottle store.
He returned moments later wielding a machete and struck the victim on the neck and palm, leaving him with deep wounds.
Khosa pleaded guilty to attempted murder and was sentenced to nine years in jail. Four years were, however, suspended, leaving him to serve an effective five years — Manica Post
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Pregnant woman lures would-be rapist into trap
A pregnant Bindura woman outsmarted a man who tried to rape her, luring him into a trap that landed him behind bars for two decades.
Robert Sebastian (39), of Withington Farm, was sentenced to 20 years by the Bindura Regional Magistrates’ Court after he was found guilty of attempting to rape the 21-year-old expectant mother.
The incident occurred on August 7 when the woman was walking to Foothills Clinic for a check-up.
Sebastian approached her with a casual greeting before grabbing her jacket and dragging her into nearby bushes.
“He tripped her to the ground and attempted to rape her,” the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe said in a statement.
But the quick-thinking victim convinced him to follow her home, pretending she would “enjoy the act” in private since she lived alone.
Unbeknown to him, she was leading him into a trap.
At her homestead, the woman alerted her husband and neighbours, who quickly apprehended the man and handed him over to the police.
Torn clothing from the struggle and her testimony sealed his fate in court.
Sebastian will now spend 20 years behind bars. — Mashonaland Central Bureau
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Aunt butchered, body set on fire
A man, believed to be a mental patient, butchered his aunt before setting her lifeless body on fire in Nemangwe village, Gokwe South.
The brutal attack, which occurred recently, comes barely a few weeks after another man, also suspected to be mentally challenged, killed five people in Madlambuzi.
In a statement on X, police confirmed the arrest of Tafara Machiri, who is accused of murdering his 64-year-old aunt, Sylvia Sawa.
“Police in Gokwe have arrested a suspected
mental patient, Tafara Machiri, in connection with a case of murder which occurred in Ruraka
village, Nemangwe, Gokwe South,” the statement read.
After the gruesome killing, the suspect allegedly torched his aunt’s body in an attempt to conceal the crime.
“A blood-stained machete and two knobkerries were recovered at the scene,” police further revealed.
The community has been left shaken, with villagers calling the act a “dark cloud” over Nemangwe. — B-Metro
