A 26-year-old man from Matsheumhlophe suburb in Bulawayo was ordered by a court to perform 420 hours of unpaid work after he was found guilty of engaging in sexual intercourse with a 14-year-old girl he claimed was his lover.
Tyson Maseko appeared before Bulawayo regional magistrate Vivian Ndlovu and pleaded guilty to having sexual intercourse with a young person.
Ndlovu sentenced Maseko to 24 months imprisonment and suspended 12 months for five years on condition of good behaviour.
The magistrate also suspended the remaining 12 months on condition that Maseko performs 420 hours of community service at ZRP Hillside.
In passing the sentence, the magistrate said she had considered that the accused was a first offender who didn’t waste the court’s time when he pleaded guilty to the charge. Ndlovu said:
The accused apologised to the court and he claimed that he was in love with the victim and wanted to marry her.
However, cases like these make children vulnerable and expose them to diseases and teenage pregnancies.
Allegations were that on 18 March and at around 6 PM, Maseko went with the victim to his house in Matsheumhlope suburb where they had sexual intercourse with her consent during the night.
The following day, at around 5 AM, Maseko and the juvenile had sexual intercourse again.
The court heard that Maseko only stopped after the minor girl complained that it was now painful.
When the girl returned home, she was questioned by her parents where she had been and that is when she revealed that she had slept at Maseko’s place.
The matter was reported to the police and the victim was referred to the hospital for medical examination.
A medical report was produced in court as evidence.
According to the Marriages Act which came into operation in September 2022, the minimum age of marriage is 18 years for both girls and boys.
It is, therefore, a crime to marry off a child and anyone involved in that will be prosecuted. It is a substantial crime if the parents or guardians are involved.
More: Pindula News