The ManicaPost
Luthando Mapepa
Chipinge Correspondent
A HEARTLESS Chipinge man was on Wednesday sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for raping his 10-year-old daughter.
The man (name withheld to protect the identity of the girl) from Maadza Village under Chief Musikavanhu appeared before Chipinge regional magistrate, Mr Noel Mupeiwa facing rape charges.
The girl was staying with a local pastor after her father had neglected her following the separation of her parents.
The man pleaded not guilty, but was convicted due to overwhelming evidence.
In sentencing him, Mr Mupeiwa said the man deserved a lengthy custodial sentence.
The man was slapped with a 20-year jail term. Prosecuting, Mr Themba Dhliwayo said sometime in May, the complainant was seen roaming around Maronga Business Centre by a Good Samaritan and pastor with Pentecostal Assemblies of Zimbabwe (PAOZ), Pastor Elliot Mangwayana.
The Mangwayanas took custody of the child after learning that her father had neglected her.
The girl stayed with Pastor Mangwayana’s family until last month when the father visited her at the pastor’s home.
“On November 2, the man approached Pastor Mangwayana’s wife, Mrs Batsirai Mashava-Mangwayana requesting to see his daughter. He told Mrs Mangwayana that he wanted to buy fish for her daughter at a business centre in Chibuwe.
“The father told Mrs Mangwayana that he would return the child on the same day. On their way to the shopping centre, they passed through a forest and the father raped his daughter once.
“The complainant cried for help, but the father threatened her with death,” he said.
Mr Dhliwayo said after raping the complainant, the man abandoned the journey to the business centre.
Instead, he took the girl to his homestead and spent the night with her there.
“The man raped the complainant again at his homestead. On November 3, the man decided to return the child to Pastor Mangwayana’s home in Maronga area. On their way, the man raped the girl again,” said Mr Dhliwayo.
The matter came to light when Mrs Mangwayana asked the girl why she failed to return the previous day.
The girl revealed everything and she was escorted to make a report at Chibuwe Police Post.
Testifying in court, Mrs Mangwayana said she first saw the girl scavenging for food in their bin.
“The girl would come to look for food from our bin. My husband told me to give her food. We later decided to stay with the girl.
“On November 2, the girl’s father requested to have his child accompany him to a nearby business centre. He said he wanted to buy her fish. He told us that the girl would return on the same day. We let her go. The girl came back the following day and had difficulties in walking. I talked to her and she revealed the rape,” said Mrs Mangwayana.
Meanwhile, raping a mental patient earned a Chisumanje man 15 years in jail.
Blessing Banxa (55) of ChindikumiriVillage under Chief Garahwa’s area of Chisumbanje was convicted and sentenced to 15 years by Mr Mupeiwa on Tuesday.
Mr Dhliwayo said on November 6, Banxa approached the complainant who was playing alone about 70 metres from their homestead.
“Banxa grabbed the complainant’s hand and dragged her into a toilet which is about 10 meters away from where she was playing. He raped her once and was only released after biting Banxa on the chin.
“After the act, Banxa vanished from the scene. The complainant went home crying. She met Mr Calvin Mucheri and Mr Allen Khumbula along the way who asked her why she was crying. She revealed to the two that Banxa had raped her in the toilet,” said Mr Dhliwayo.
Mr Mucheri and Mr Khumbula confronted Banxa, but he denied raping the complainant.
A report was made to the police leading to Banxa’s arrest.
Banxa was slapped with 15 years imprisonment, of which three years were set aside on condition that he does not commit a similar offence in the next five years.
