adminHe went to the woman’s homestead in the same village where he gained entry into the room in which she was sleeping.
He initially had a scuffle with the frail woman before he overpowered, pinned, gagged and raped her once.
The woman cried for help prompting her grandson who was sleeping in another hut to rush to the scene.
Manyanga took to his heels with the woman’s grandson in hot pursuit.
Manyanga went into hiding only to resurface three weeks later when police arrested him.
In another incident, Wonder Magaya (40), from Ngorezha Village under Chief Nematombo also appeared before a Karoi magistrate in November last year charged with raping his 13-year-old daughter while ploughing in the fields.
Magaya is said to have woken up around 2am and ordered his daughter to lead his span of oxen while he ploughed in the fields.
During the course of the ploughing, Magaya ordered his daughter to stop the oxen for a while.
As if he wanted to fix part of the yoke or the plough chain, Magaya allegedly moved towards the unsuspecting girl and pushed her onto the furrows where he raped her once.
After some days the girl’s mother noticed something strange in the way the girl moved and confronted her. The girl implicated Magaya who was arrested.
These are just some of the rape incidents taking place in Hurungwe.
There are reports that for their juju to work the likes of Magaya should perform such gory acts while it is dark and right in the middle of the fields.
This is to prepare the field for a bumper harvest.
In Hurungwe the many reasons of rape between relatives is the myth that a sexual encounter between blood relatives like father and daughter results in a bumper harvest (divisi).
Others believe that those who become intimate with toddlers believe such acts are an antidote for HIV/Aids.
Self-styled prophets and n’angas are deemed among the culprits promoting the escalation of the crime through such skewed beliefs.
Most chiefs in Hurungwe have thus stopped all the cleansing operations by the Tsikamutanda’s or Guarani’s as a way of preventing disharmony and crime in their communities.
“Yes some fake prophets, Tsikamutandas and n’angas are believed to give such prescriptions which end up promoting rape and even murder.
“I have since driven out all the Tsikamutandas who used to terrorise my area in the name of communal witch- hunting.
“Most of them came from Gokwe and have since crossed Sanyati River and gone back.
“People who accept such beliefs should remember that the greatest recipe for a bumper harvest is nothing other than enough preparation for the season, particularly having enough inputs.
“Having enough inputs is the only divisi that we know, not sleeping with your daughter to harvest more,” said Chief Nyamhunga.
Some people especially those desperate for jobs have also been reportedly hoodwinked by n’angas into believing that having sexual intercourse with old women particularly those who are 70 years old and above will bring everlasting fortunes.
Chief Dandawa blamed herbs that increased sexual potency as the cause of most rape cases and urged herbalists in such businesses to consider selling only to people in need as the herbs ended up being abused by the unmarried young people.
“It is true that herbs that increase sexual potency are to blame. Those who sell such stuff should only target those with real need rather than to anyone on the street. Most of the rape cases can be as a result of such herbs.”
Eighty-seven year old retired major in the Salvation Army Church, Mr Titus Nyamadzawo of Magunje criticised dressing by women as a major cause of rape.
“Apart from use of drugs like mbanje and heavy drinking, invasion of our culture is taking place through dressing.
“Some clothes that women wear almost expose essential parts of the body.
“Scantily dressed women are a cause for concern. On the other hand the internet has also helped in turning our social fabric in tatters.
“There are certain foreign values that people import through the internet. Pornographic material is being watched all over by young people.
“Imagine the effects of watching such lewd videos, it really destroys our societal values and causes the unorthodox,” he said.
Between August 1 and 9 this year, police in Mashonaland West Province recorded 16 cases of rape 10 of them from Hurungwe District.
Though these statistics focus only on a short period of time in a particular month of the year, it is still ample evidence to demonstrate that Hurungwe is among the worst affected districts in Mashonaland West Province when it comes to the crime of rape.
Officer Commanding Hurungwe District, Chief Superintendent Justin Mandizha recently conceded that rape remains the most prevalent crime in Hurungwe.
He attributed the escalation of rape cases in the district to the breakdown of the social fabric.
He also revealed that police were working tirelessly to educate members of the public through awareness campaigns.
Supt Mandizha said it is possible that some cases which previously went unreported due to ignorance of the victims are now being brought to the attention of the police as a result of such drives.
“At times you find some close relatives defying some of our norms and values by sleeping in the same room due to accommodation shortages. This is a serious cause for concern.
“Alternatively the increase in rape cases could be a result of police awareness campaigns.
“We have been taking every opportunity to educate members of the public to report all crimes.
“Traditional leaders have also not been spared as we have been educating them on the need to stop handling criminal cases, since it is not their domain.
“This has helped a lot and most of the criminal cases including rape are now even being reported by the traditional leaders themselves,” he said.
Chief Supt Mandizha added that in both rural and urban set-ups some parents go to funerals or church vigils and spend several days and nights away from their children.
These children are usually left in the custody of the people they trust.
“It is unfortunate that the same people they trust are the ones who end up abusing the minors.
“In Hurungwe the most prevalent form of rape is not between strangers but between people with some form of relationships, either through blood relationships or merely staying in the same vicinity,” he said.
Chief Supt Mandizha’s comments have also been echoed by police spokesperson, senior Assistant Commissioner Wayne Bvudzijena who recently expressed concern over the increase of rape of juveniles nationally.
Senior Asst Comm. Bvudzijena attributed some juvenile rape cases to negligence by guardians and parents who leave young girls in the custody of relatives and strangers for long periods.
Early last month, while officiating at the Mashonaland West Provincial re-launch of the Police Service Charter at Mudzimu Primary School in Hurungwe, Officer Commanding Police in Mashonaland West Province, Senior Assistant Commissioner Rangarirai Mushaurwa implored traditional leaders in the area to help rein in the increasing levels of rape in the area.
She said between January and June this year, cases of rape in the district had soared by 11,7 percent (63 cases) against 29 cases during the same period last year.
Juvenile rape, she said, had also increased by 8 percent (829 cases) this year against 766 cases during the same period last year.
She urged members of the public to get involved in the battle against crime by joining neighbourhood watch committees and encouraged the establishment of programmes like the Police Junior Call as a way of increasing awareness and vigilance among members of the community.
Online Reporter