adminLovemore Kadzura
RAPING and impregnating his 18-year-old relative saw a shameless MDC-T ward chairman in Buhera being jailed for 18 years.
Ngoni Chemhere (55) of Chemhere Village, Chief Makumbe, will, however, spend 16 years behind bars after Rusape regional magistrate Mr Livingstone Chipadza suspended two years on condition of good behaviour.
Chemhere, who was represented by Mr Leonard Chigadza of Chigadza and Associates, pleaded not guilty, saying the complainant and some members of the community, who had political differences with him, fabricated the charges.
Rusape area prosecutor Mr Tirivanhu Mutyasira told the court that Chemhere, who is an uncle to the victim, raped her twice and threatened her with death if she ever divulged the offence to anyone.
The heavily pregnant teenager, who was a Form Three student, was called to testify and told the court that each time Chemhere raped her, he would have a knife which he used to threaten to kill her with if she refused his advances and reported the rape.
“Sometime in August 2014 on two different occasions during the night the accused person approached the complainant who was sleeping alone in the kitchen. He proceeded to rape her while gagging her.
“In November 2014, the teenager’s grandmother heard rumours that the complainant was pregnant and she interviewed her.
She revealed that she was raped by Chemhere. The grandmother advised the complainant to report the matter to the police which she did. She was medically examined at Murambinda Mission Hospital,” said Mr Mutyasira.
Online Reporter