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IN a case of sexual violence that has left the community in shock, a 29-year-old man from Mathe Line in Tsholotsho, Matabeleland North province, is alleged to have repeatedly raped a granny aged 92, leaving her nearly unconscious.
After the abuse, which reportedly occurred from 10pm to 4am the following day, the alleged rapist escaped, leaving behind his underwear.
This was after the granny, whose name is being withheld for legal reasons, begged the attacker to stop the abuse.
The villagers were outraged by the news and called for a harsh penalty against the perpetrator.
“This despicable act of violence against a vulnerable member of our community must be met with the full force of our commitment to justice.
“The rape of an elderly woman is not only a crime against an individual, but also a deeply disturbing assault on our society’s values and sense of safety,” a villager, who preferred anonymity, fumed in a telephone interview.
Details of the matter are that on August 5, 2024, around 10pm, the woman was sleeping in her bedroom hut when Meluleki Ngwenya allegedly gained entry through an unlocked door.
He allegedly then joined the victim in her blankets.
Ngwenya had threatened to assault the granny if she refused to let him join her in the blankets.
While in the blankets, Ngwenya allegedly undressed the woman before removing his clothes.
He then raped her several times.
He reportedly stopped after the granny pleaded with him that she was no longer managing.
It is reported that he left around 4am, leaving behind his underwear.
The granny went and reported the matter to her sister, who then escorted her to the police to report the matter.
Investigations by the police led to Ngwenya’s arrest.
Ngwenya, who initially appeared before a Tsholotsho magistrate, was not asked to plead and was remanded in custody. — B-Metro
Infant strangled to death by frustrated mother
A furious 20-year-old mother allegedly strangled her 18-month-old baby to
death after she failed to stop him from
crying.
The incident happened on August 14, 2024, in Zimdabule village 4, Deli, Nyamandlovu, Matabeleland North province.
The woman, Siphethebuhle Nkomo, has since been arrested by the police.
On the fateful day, Nkomo’s baby boy started crying uncontrollably.
The young mother failed to determine the cause of her baby’s discomfort. In a fit of rage, Nkomo choked him until he died.
The police confirmed the incident, saying: “On August 14, 2024, police in Nyamandlovu, Lupane, arrested Siphethebuhle Nkomo (20) in connection with a case of murder in which she strangled to death her son (18 months) after failing to silence him while crying on August 14, 2024, at Zimdabule Village 4, Deli, Nyamandlovu.” — Wires
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Bizarre witchcraft allegations in Chigodora
In a bizarre incident, a Chigodora man allegedly stumbled upon his mother and aunt performing weird nocturnal rituals at his homestead while stark naked.
The man further claimed the duo cast a spell on him when he tried to inform his uncle of the spine-chilling act.
Clement Zikiti said the unsettling experience happened two weeks ago when he was woken up by strange chants and noises outside his house. Upon hearing the commotion, Zikiti dashed out to investigate, only to stumble upon his naked mother, Stella Chimbadzwa, and aunt, Shorai Bingadade. The two women, in their birthday suits, were allegedly engaged in witchcraft rituals.
It was around 1am.
The matter has since appeared before Headman Chigodora’s community court.
“I was shocked and did not know what to do when I saw my mother and aunt stark naked, and busy with their nocturnal witchcraft rituals at my homestead,” Zikiti recounted.
“I retreated inside the house and decided to inform my uncle, Aleck Chimbadzwa, who stays nearby. Aleck is my mother’s brother and Bingadade’s husband. However, I got lost for about an hour and arrived at his homestead around 2am, despite it being barely 100 metres away.”
Zikiti alleged that when he arrived at his uncle’s homestead, he found Bingadade dressed up and pretending to be asleep.
“She was the one who responded to my knock on the door. No one believed me initially.
“They only started believing me after I became mentally unstable. That is when they started taking my claims seriously, because the next morning, I had a mental blackout and only got better after being taken to a traditional healer,” he said while shivering.
Zikiti said prior to the chilling discovery, he was plagued by insomnia — a common sleep disorder that can make it hard to fall asleep or stay asleep. It can also cause one to wake up too early and be unable to get back to sleep. One may still feel tired after waking up. Insomnia can drain one’s energy level and affect one’s mood.
Aleck told the court that the following morning, Zikiti became mentally unstable, ran berserk and abandoned his homestead.
He said the family’s scepticism became a genuine concern as Zikiti’s mental condition continued deteriorating.
“We had to restrain him as he started picking up food from bins. Initially, I did not believe him because my wife was right by my side when he knocked on the door. In fact, it was my wife who heard him walking outside and woke me up,” he said.
Aleck’s son, Leon, advised Zikiti to document his experiences, fearing that he would become mentally unstable like others who claim to have encountered witches.
“As if I had seen it coming, my cousin’s mental health deteriorated rapidly and he went missing over a period of time,” Leon said.
“No one knew where he was staying, but I want this court to know that if it turned out that one or either of these two women are part of witches that are tormenting our family, surely, I will kill them and serve time behind bars.”
Leon said his wife had suffered seven miscarriages due to sorcery and he would not spare the culprit/s.
When asked to respond, Shorai vehemently denied the allegations. She denied having been seen naked at Zikiti’s home.
“You all heard him in this court saying when he got to my homestead, I was in the house asleep. How could I be in two places at the same time?
“How could I have rushed back home and opened the door for him? I do not have teleportation powers, and all this sounds like a stage-managed thing.
“I am suspecting that he is not mentally deranged, but is faking it out so that his story can be believable,” she said.
The woman would not stop laughing as she was being quizzed by the court.
Stella could neither confirm nor deny having been seen naked at her son’s homestead on the evening in question. Instead, she said she could have been used by witches without her knowledge.
“I only got to know of this matter when my brother, Aleck, summoned me to his homestead the following day. It could be that I am being used by witches without my knowledge because I cannot see how my own son could raise such allegations or lie against me as there is no bad blood between us.
“All I need is help so that the whole family can be saved and if indeed there is witchcraft at play in the family, it must be eradicated,” she said.
Another relative, Rudolf Chimbadzwa, said Zikiti’s wife had abandoned him due to strange occurrences at the homestead.
“For months she has been begging that they vacate the homestead because she was hearing strange chants and noises at night,” Rudolf said.
“Each time she would go out to investigate, she would see these two women and other women from the community naked. He sided with his mother and refused to leave, forcing his wife to leave as she could no longer stand it.” — Manica Post
Tinaye Agere
Online Reporter