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Nyore Madzianike Senior Court Reporter
A serial robber and rapist targeting women selling snacks, socks and blankets in Harare’s western high-density suburbs, was jailed for an effective 20 years after he was convicted of 12 counts of robbery and six counts of rape.
Farai Denga was initially jailed for 38 years on all his counts when he appeared before Deputy Chief Magistrate Mrs Bianca Makwande but she suspended 18 years of the total jail term on condition that he will not commit a similar offence within five years of his eventual release.
Giving details of the crimes, Mr Lancelot Mutsokoti for the prosecution said on April 6, 2018 at around 3pm, Denga met a 24-year-old woman selling popcorn in Tynwald and said he wanted to buy some. He requested that the woman accompany him to his home. After walking for about 100 metres, Denga suddenly grabbed the woman by the neck and produced an okapi knife, robbed her of $7,50 and raped her.
On November 18, 2018 at around 3pm Denga met another 23-year-old woman selling sausages at the corner of 3rd Crescent and 2nd Avenue in Warren Park 1, Harare. He told the woman he wanted to buy the sausages and asked her to come to his construction site for payment.
They then went to Nkwisi Gardens in Tynwald South where he grabbed her by the neck, pointed a kitchen knife at her chest and raped her. He then stole her Samsung galaxy cellphone, $37 and some sausages.
A few days later, Denga met a teenage girl selling school socks at Sifra Shopping Centre in Kuwadzana Extension, Harare and lied that he wanted to buy them all for his school in Glaudina, Harare.
He asked the girl to come with him to Glaudina for payment but when they reached a maize field he forced her down, demanded all her money and the socks, threatening to kill her. She gave him $70 and 18 pairs of socks and raped her. On May 29, 2018 at around 11am, Denga approached a 21-year-old woman selling blankets at N. Richards, Westlea, Harare saying he wanted to buy blankets for his wife and would return with her.
But at around 1pm Denga returned alone and asked the woman to accompany him to his home since his wife was pregnant. Denga carried two blankets and the woman carried another one.
He then paid $88 for the two blankets promising to settle the balance through Ecocash.
Upon reaching a bushy area opposite Tynwald Primary School in Westlea, Denga grabbed the woman’s throat and demanded his money back and whatever else she had. He attempted to rape the woman but failed as she was on her menstrual period.
On February 8, 2019 at around midday a 21-year-old woman selling bananas at Carswell Meats along Willowvale Road met Denga, who pretended that he wanted to buy bananas for colleagues and asked her to come with him to where these colleagues were working on a plumbing job.
But he led her to a maize field, robbed her of $6, a cellphone and 12 bananas, demanding her Ecocash PIN so he could steal more, and then raped her.
On March 20, 2019 at around 3pm a 25-year-old woman selling doughnuts at Munhenzva Complex along Willowvale Road met Denga and asked her to come with him so he could pay her. He led her into a maize field, raped her and then robbed her of $12, Samsung cellphone and a Nokia cellphone.
In the morning of March 5, 2019 a 28-year-old woman selling fish in Crowborough, Harare when she met Denga, who said he wanted to buy the lot, asking her to come with him to his colleagues so he could get the money.
The woman agreed and while they were walking along a footpath in a maize field, Denga ordered the woman to surrender all the fish and then robbed her of cellphones and $521.
Denga was finally arrested in Southerton where he had waylaid another woman.
Online Reporter