A serial armed robber and rapist, who broke into more than 20 homes and business premises in Harare, has pleaded guilty to 29 charges of rape, armed robbery and unlawful entry.
Issa Siyabu, who is also known as Issa Chakazama, or Innocent Kajira, appeared before Harare regional magistrate Loice Mukunyadze on Wednesday, 14 February.
As reported by H-Metro, Siyabu targeted prominent businessmen and popular figures, including Ronald Ajara, celebrity dentist Dr Anesu Musvosvi, former mayor Ben Manyenyeni and Better Brands executive manager, Simbarashe Makomichi.
As the counts were being read, Siyabu told the court not to “bother” itself by reading as he was pleading guilty to everything – two rape charges, five armed robberies and 22 unlawful entries.
Magistrate Mukunyadze, however, insisted on the charges being read in full for the record.
Prosecutors said on 23 December 2022, Ajara went to bed with his family at his Borrowdale home.
While they were asleep, Siyabu forced entry into their home through the kitchen door and stole a Play Station 5, MacBook Air, Bose speaker, iPhone 14 Plus and a JBL speaker and went away unnoticed.
Upon arrest, Siyabu made indications on how he broke into the house and stole the property worth US$5 000. Nothing was recovered.
In another count, Siyabu broke into a 42-year-old woman’s home in Mt Pleasant while she was sleeping on 07 January.
She was awakened by unusual noises coming from the kitchen at around 2 AM. Siyabu went into her bedroom brandishing a knife and threatened to kill her if she screamed.
She complied and he started demanding cash which she said she didn’t have.
Siyabu then forcefully shoved a cloth in her mouth and ordered her to lie down before he ransacked the whole house only to find US$5.
He then took the woman outside with the knife to her throat and instructed her to lead him to the main house.
He threatened to rape her and she revealed where she kept her money and he dragged her back into the house. Prosecutors said:
The two then went back inside the house where the accused took US$700.
He further laid the complainant on the bed and raped her twice before leaving the house.
Siyabu was arrested in Chegutu following police investigations and was taken to each of the houses he broke into for indications.
The police also managed to match his fingerprints with those obtained from the crime scene.
He is back in court this Thursday for plea recording.
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