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Senior Court Reporter
A 58-YEAR-OLD Harare man will spend the next seven years behind bars after he gagged a woman with a neck tie until she lost consciousness before raping her.The victim, aged 25, had gone to the man’s house to sell him a laptop after he had invited her.
Harare regional magistrate Mr Simon Rojers Kachambwa convicted Canciwell Nziramasanga after a fully contested trial. Mr Kachambwa sentenced him to 12 years in prison and set aside five years on condition of good behaviour.
In sentencing Nziramasanga, the magistrate took into account the prevalence of rape cases.
“Hardly a day goes by without the local courts dealing with one or more of these cases. And, as the prosecutor has indicated, they seem to be on the increase.
“Rape traumatises the victim who loses her respect and dignity and it seems that the short terms of imprisonment which have been imposed in the past have not deterred would-be offenders. At his age, he should learn to practise persuasion if he falls for a woman,” he said.
On September 23, the woman who knew Nziramasanga, called him on his mobile phone intending to sell him a laptop. The two met in town at a hotel and Nziramasanga told the woman that he did not have money on him. He told her that he would get in touch with her when he got money.
On the same day Nziramasanga called the woman advising her that he now had the US$500 for the laptop. He told the woman to deliver the laptop to his house in Avondale but she initially refused but later complied after he told him he would spend the money on other things if she did not come.
On September 26 the woman went to Nziramasanga’s house and he led her to the sitting room. They later disagreed on the price and when the woman stood up intending to leave the house, Nziramasanga suddenly grabbed her hair and dragged her to his bedroom. While she was screaming, Nziramasanga stuffed his neck tie into her mouth until she lost consciousness and went on to rape her.
When the woman gained consciousness, she realised that she was naked and that she had been raped. Nziramasanga threatened her with death and ordered her not to tell anyone about the abuse.
The woman made a police report on October 2 leading to Nziramasanga’s arrest. In another case, a 25-year-old Harare woman allegedly allowed her friend to rape her 13-year-old stepdaughter in exchange for money to buy food.
The woman appeared in court facing rape charges. Her alleged accomplice, only identified as Hwanda, is still at large. Under Zimbabwe’s laws, anyone who assists or facilitates a rape is also charged with the crime.
The Budiriro woman appeared before Harare magistrate Mr Donald Ndirowei and was remanded in custody to January 13, 2014. Prosecutor Ms Sharon Mashavira told the court that on the evening of an unknown date this year, the stepmother invited Hwanda to her home.
It is alleged that when Hwanda arrived, the stepmother ordered the girl to accompany him to a shebeen to buy alcohol. Hwanda allegedly drove towards town and parked his car along Gleneagles Road. He proposed love to the girl and he was turned down, the court heard.
It is alleged Hwanda locked the car doors and raped the girl. He drove back and left the girl at her home. The girl informed her stepmother about the sexual abuse and the she ordered the minor not to tell anyone. The woman also threatened to kick the girl out of the house if she told anyone about the abuse, it is alleged.
Within a month, Hwanda returned and the stepmother again ordered the girl to go with him. Hwanda allegedly drove to Budiriro 5A where he raped the girl in the car. Again, it is alleged, the stepmother insisted that the teen remain mum.
The alleged abuse surfaced when the girl visited a clinic and her condition raised the suspicions of staff there.
Online Reporter