Online Reporter
Midlands Bureau
A 26-year-old man who ambushed and raped two primary school children on separate occasions has been sentenced to 35 years in jail.
According to a statement from the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe, Elphas Mapfumo appeared before a Zvishavane Magistrates’ Court recently.
The NPAZ said Mapfumo of Zvishavane was facing two counts of raping the minors, aged seven and eight respectively.
In the first incident, which occurred on July 23, the seven-year-old girl was walking home from school with friends when Mapfumo approached them. He grabbed the victim’s hand, chased her friends away, and dragged her to a spot beside the road where he raped her.
“The victim later told a relative what had happened, and the matter was reported to the police by her mother on September 24, 2025,” said the statement.
Using the same modus operandi, Mapfumo sexually abused another eight-year-old girl on September 19.
The NPAZ said the victim was walking home from school with a six-year-old schoolmate. The two decided to rest and eat by the side of the road when the offender attacked them.
“The schoolmate fled, and the offender caught the victim, grabbed her by the neck, dragged her into the bush and raped her,” said the NPAZ.
The victim was later taken home by a passer-by, and she recounted her ordeal to her mother.
A report was made to the police who launched investigations leading to the arrest of the paedophile.
