Online Reporter
B-Metro Reporter
A ZVISHAVANE village head who abused his authority and sexually violated a 23 year old woman under the guise of a rain-making ritual chore has been slapped with 17 years in jail.
The National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ) revealed that the 40 year old traditional leader committed the brutal crime on 18 September 2025 after arriving at the victim’s homestead pretending to discuss cultural duties.
He told the victim’s father that the sorghum used for the rain-making ceremony had dried and needed crushing. Trusting the village head as a custodian of tradition, the father instructed his daughter to accompany him to his homestead.
Upon arrival and finding no one at the homestead, the village head led the young woman into a round hut. There, he grabbed her, declared his sexual intentions and forced himself on her while she struggled to resist. He overpowered her and raped her before forcing her to continue crushing the sorghum as if nothing had happened.
The traumatised victim returned home silently carrying her pain, but her parents later noticed a drastic change in her behaviour. Her mother confronted her over the phone, and the truth finally poured out. The matter was reported to the police, leading to the immediate arrest of the offender.
Appearing before the Zvishavane Magistrates’ Court, the once-respected village head received a heavy sentence that reflected both the gravity of the crime and the breach of cultural and community trust.
Prosecutors condemned the abuse of authority and urged Zimbabweans to protect women and girls from predators who hide behind positions of respectability. The NPAZ said the justice system will continue to fight relentlessly against sexual violence in all its forms.
The offender begins his 17 year prison stretch as a stark warning to all who think power gives them licence to prey on the vulnerable.
