Two men jailed 35 years for raping minors

TWO men have been sentenced to a combined 35 years in prison by the Hwange Regional Court after being convicted in separate rape cases involving minors.

In the first matter, a 52-year-old Binga man was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment by Hwange regional magistrate, Mr Shepherd Mjanja after being found guilty of raping his eight-year-old step-granddaughter.

In passing sentence, Mr Mjanja cited abuse of trust and the victim’s tender age as aggravating factors.
He said a deterrent sentence was necessary in crimes involving vulnerable minors.

The court heard that on January 11, the child had gone to guard crops in a field with her siblings before she later left the field to quench thirst at a nearby stream. The complainant’s stepfather followed her, dragged her into a bush and raped her.

After the assault, the accused threatened to assault the victim if she reported the matter to anyone. However, the child later reported the abuse to her grandmother, who in turn filed a police report leading to the accused’s arrest.

In a separate case, Coster Mabhena (18) of Lupane was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment for raping a seven-year-old girl in March 2024.

The offence came to light after the child’s father noticed signs of distress and reported the matter to police leading to Mabhena’s arrest.

Ms Chido Tshuma prosecuted both matters.