Notorious robber, rapist jailed 31 years

Robin Muchetu, Senior Reporter

A 29-year-old man from Clifton Park in Gweru has been jailed for 31 years for multiple rape and robbery charges dating back to 2023.

Obert Ncube appeared before the Gweru Magistrate Court facing three counts of robbery and two counts of rape.

According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), on 5 March 2023, the accused person and his two accomplices who are still at large, instructed the complainant (28) who was walking home from the local grocery shop to stop but she did not.

“The accused person blocked her way and drew an okapi knife from his pocket, before forcefully taking her Huawei Honor cellphone valued at US$60. The accused person and his accomplices took the complainant to a nearby bush. An argument ensued as the accused person’s accomplices wanted to kill the complainant but the accused person wanted to have sexual intercourse with her. The accused person raped the complainant while his accomplices were watching from a distance,” said the NPA in a statement.

The complainant managed to escape and hide in a pit until the following morning and managed to file a police report.

In another incident on 6 August 2023, Ncube raped his girlfriend’s friend (18) who is a Form 4 pupil at knife point.

He also raped a sex worker.

“On an unknown date, the accused person lured a commercial sex worker purporting to hire her services and dragged her to the railway line where he robbed her of her Infinix Hot 12 cellphone, valued at US$165.

“He raped the complainant several times without protection overnight. The accused person was arrested on 17 September 2023 for a separate rape case. He was found in possession of the third complainant’s Infinix Hot 12 cellphone. The third complainant positively identified the accused person,” said the NPA.

On 18 September 2023, the first complainant identified the accused person when she brought food for her relative who was detained at the holding cells.

The accused person was sentenced to a total of 31 years of imprisonment for counts 3 to 5. The complainant in count 1 and 2 could not be located on the day of trial.

@NyembeziMu