When son turns tormentor

when peace and tranquillity prevailed, her reason is there is a rapist-cum-robber on the prowl in the area.
The majority of the people in the area around Gombonzvanda Shopping Centre in Hwedza have been forced to install burglar bars to their bedrooms to protect themselves from one of their own, Blessing Tsikai aka Jah B or simply the ex-convict.
Women in the area now have to make sure whenever they travel through secluded places, they have male companions for fear of meeting their “son” who has turned their tormentor.
Those who live alone make sure they are indoors before sunset or risk the wrath of a the serial rapist.
As it that is not enough the majority of the people in the village have been forced to install burglar bars on windows and doors to secure their homes
Welcome to new way of life for Wedza communities in the Gombonzvanda area where a serial rapist has been roaming the area for the past three years.
Villagers say rarely a fortnight passes without a robbery or a woman being raped in Matsine, Nhekairo, Maradza and Shiri villages or nearby Zairimwe and Gombonzvanda shopping centres.
The villagers have no problem identifying the man behind the crimes as Blessing Tsikai although efforts to apprehend him have been fruitless.
“The police have failed us we now are living in fear of this boy who grew among us. We don’t know what has gotten into him.
“He has turned into an animal and now attacks young girls and vulnerable women such as the disabled and widows,” said a clearly dejected Sabhuku Nhekairo, Mr Christopher Nhekairo.
Sabhuku Nhekairo said: “Tsikai announced his return from prison by robbing women and young children in Musoti vleis – the section that that joins the villages and Hwedza Centre.
“While we were still shocked, he began this trend of raping and breaking into homes. Imagine at one of the homes he forced himself on a hapless woman and slept the entire night with her. Tsikai threatened the woman that he would cut off her head if he made any noise.
“The man is dangerous; he moves around with an axe and large knife that he uses to threaten victims.”
To date, more than a dozen rape cases have been reported to Hwedza police but no arrest has been made.
To evade the law, Tsikai does not stay in the same area for too long but operates guerrilla style – hitting one area, lying low and resurfacing in another village.
One of the victims who was robbed at axe point recollects: “I was away in Harare when Tsikai first hit the home. Only my husband was at home on the fateful day.
Mrs Maina Nhende recalls: “He forced the front door open using an axe. When my husband woke up, Tsikai was standing over him wielding an axe. He told him to keep quite while he helped himself to the food in the house. Tsikai warned him against shouting or making noise while he packed some groceries and clothes into a suitcase.
“To ensure the old man would not notify other villages, Tsikai tied my husband’s legs and arms using neck ties before getting away with US$25, two cellphones, groceries and some clothes,” she said.
Mrs Nhende said Tsikai was to return four days later this time and she was also sleeping in the house.
“I was awoken by some footsteps in the house around 2am. After some silence I saw a torchlight through an opening on the door. I woke up my husband who at first did not notice anything.
“Tsikai then decided to come to the bedroom after ransacking the sitting room. This is when my husband realised that indeed there was an intruder in the house and decided to act.
“We pushed the bed to the door blocking the doorway but Tsikai could not take any of that. Using the axe he struck the door three times before it gave in leaving us exposed. My husband picked up an axe and the two stood there like two bulls. Three times, a threat to use the axe was met by a similar threat. At that time I had also picked up a hoe in aid of my husband and we were prepared to die than let him bully us.
“My husband then asked him what he wanted or if he had wronged him in any way to which he replied, ‘I have come to collect what I left the other day’.
“After almost half any hour, Tsikai picked up a shopping bag full of groceries that was lying near the door and left. That is when we made raised the alarm but by the time our fellow villagers arrived he had already vanished into the nearby bushes.
“We made a police report and until now there have been no arrests. We have since installed a steel screen to protect ourselves from this burglar-turned-rapist.”
A victim who only identified herself as Caroline for fear of reprisal, said Tsikai had visited their compound twice but failed to gain entry into the house until he decided to pounce last Tuesday afternoon. I think she had been watching the home and pounced after one of her sisters had left for
Hwedza Centre.
Around 11am, Tsikai entered one of the houses at the homestead, raped a disabled woman before locking the door while he prepared himself food in the kitchen. After the food he took with him some groceries and left the scene taking away with her keys to the house.
“We had to phone Mai Watson who had gone to Hwedza to bring spare keys to gain entry into the bedroom. As I am speaking they have gone to Hwedza for post exposure prophylaxis and a follow-up on the report.
“My brother, we are now living in fear and appeal to police to patrol the area,” she said.
Tsikai is a threat to even his relatives that everyone is fighting to put up burglar bars on their homes to bar him from his anticipated attacks.
Tsikai’s aunt, Mrs Irene Meda, now lives in fear of a child he took care off after the demise of his parents over a decade ago.
She says Blessing (Tsikai) left the family home for Harare after having brushes with village law. He was accused of breaking into houses in the neighbourhood, something he blamed on hunger.
“I faced the wrath of the village despite her efforts to exonerate herself. Consequently, Tsikai was taken by his paternal aunt to Murehwa were she is married.”
It was not long before Tsikai was forced to trace his steps back after he was again implicated in the theft of two beasts belonging to his host.
He did not stay long in Wedza as he left for Harare after another altercation with villagers over another case of suspected stock theft.
“In 2009 when Tsikai left for the capital with his wife Edna Nganga, he had several cases pending with local police. They took none of their possessions other than their clothes. That was the last we heard about him until September last year when rumours said he was spotted somewhere near Hwedza Centre,” she added.
Investigations were to reveal that Tsikai had served two years for armed robbery under a different name, Ben Muchenje.
“On his release he retraced his steps to Hwedza but did not come home choosing the nearby hills as his hideout. We started getting reports that he had ganged up with friends to rob travellers of their goods and cellphones. Break-ins become the order of the day until the advent of these rape cases.
“Most of the victims have identified Tsikai as their assailant and reports have been made but still the police failed to apprehend the rapist,” she said.
Mrs Meda said like the rest of the villages she now lives in fear of attacks from the man whom she fed and clothed after losing both parents.
“It is painful that the orphan that I took care of is terrorising people in the area. I am now regretting ever doing good, as some feel I am sending him out to rob and rape people.
“Even my family and I have to take super in the bedroom behind fastened doors. I make sure that have the keys are secured on me for fear of losing them to Tsikai. I will surely rejoice when he is arrested and made to answer for his sins,” she says.
But why has it been this difficult to arrest Tsikai?
Villagers say he does not stay in one area and behaves like he is well ahead of plans by both villagers and police.
A villager, Mr Elias Chaponda, said: “There are people who are warning him of the police. This has made reporting his whereabouts risky for the people.
“If he does not have friends in the area, where is he getting the airtime and charging his phone? We will know the culprits when he is caught.”
A member of the neighbourhood watch committee, Constable Never John, says he and compatriots were now losing the trust of the villagers as they were failing to stop the raids.
“Even our youths now live in fear as they don’t know who is tipping off Tsikai behalf. I think a dog patrol is the only answer to the notorious rapist-cum-robber.
Police at Hwedza Centre have put Tsikai on the wanted list but could not be drawn to reveal more information on the case for fear of jeopardising investigations.
They referred all questions to the Mashonaland East provincial police spokesperson who could not be reached for comment.