Rogue soldier gets 12 years

for an effective 12 years.
Fungai Kashitigu (31) based at Mounted Unit Regiment at Inkomo Barracks teamed up with about 20 other members of the uniformed forces and terrorised guests at a lodge in Harare in March this year.
Kashitigu had pleaded not guilty to rape when he appeared before regional magistrate Mr Munamato Mutevedzi, but was convicted because of overwhelming evidence.

Mr Mutevedzi sentenced him to 14 years imprisonment of which two years were suspended on condition of good behaviour.
In passing sentence, Mr Mutevedzi said he considered that Kashitigu was a first offender and the sole breadwinner of his family.

He commended the rapist for being responsible by wearing a condom as he protected his victim from sexually transmitted diseases.
He, however, said that was all that can be said in his favour saying Kashitigu had committed a very serious offence.
“The complainant had just been severely assaulted by his fellow soldiers . . . raping a woman in pain without shedding a tear is sadistic.

“He went to the lodge as second in command, you obviously needed to be exemplary but you chose to be roguest,” he said.
The magistrate commended the military police for acting swiftly in arresting the soldiers and handing them over to police.

He said the court had no doubt that he premeditated the offence as he went to the women’s room already wearing a condom.
Prosecutor Ms Rufaro Mhandu proved that March 6 this year at around 6am, a 20-year-old woman was in her room when she heard a knock at the door.

She opened the door and saw four men in uniform standing at the door.
Two of them pulled her outside while Kashitigu and another ransacked her room.

It is alleged that they slapped and punched the woman before whipping her and throwing her back into the room.
The gang left, but Kashitigu came back as the woman was about to run away and raped her once.

Kashitigu went out briefly and came back with another soldier whom he introduced as his “boss” and when she tried to explain what had happened, the man slapped her and ordered her to keep quiet.
The “boss” tried to rape her, but she managed to escape.

The woman made a report to the police leading to the arrest of Kashitigu.