Serial rapist gets 40 years in jail

Motion Sambani, who was serving a jail term for indecent assault and unlawful entry, escaped from the prison farm early last year and allegedly first raped a 42-year-old woman who was fetching firewood near the farm.
He is yet to be tried on the charges of escaping from prison and raping the 42-year-old woman.
For the five counts of rape he committed on arrival in his home area in Buhera, Rusape Magistrate Mr Hosea Mujaya sentenced him to 35 years.

He was also slapped with five years for three counts of robbery.
In addition, Sambani got a six-month term of imprisonment for assaulting a woman from Mutawa Village in Buhera who had asked for an opportunity to pray before he raped her.
As the woman knelt down in prayer, Sambani reportedly chickened out and left the woman he had stripped naked.

He decided to steal an axe and a torch worth US$20.
In passing sentence, the court considered Sambani’s previous convictions and the seriousness of the offences.
It was the court’s finding that Sambani’s removal from society for a lengthy period would meet the justice of the case.

Sambani had denied the charges when his trial opened but he was convicted on overwhelming evidence.
He had argued that the six women had framed him.

Prosecutor-in-charge at Rusape Magistrates’ Court Mr Tirivanhu Mutyasira established that on arrival in Buhera, Sambani, who was armed with an axe, reportedly broke into a house at Mutawa Village in which a 60-year-old woman was sleeping with her 17-year-old maid.

It is alleged Sambani threatened the two before raping the 17-year-old maid twice while the elderly woman watched.
He then made off with US$335, groceries including sugar, flour, peanut butter and clothes.

On the second count, Sambani raped a 13 year-old girl and two women aged 23 and 34 who were sleeping in one room.
Sambani allegedly broke into the room at Ndongwe homestead at night while armed with a knife.

He raped the women one after the other.
Sambani was reportedly operating with some men who were still at large.

He was arrested in July and the rape and robbery victims positively identified him at an identification parade.
Investigations revealed that Sambani had escaped from prison.

It was also discovered that he was on the wanted list for the rape of an elderly woman who stayed near the prison.