A 33-year-old man from Mbare, Harare, was convicted and sentenced to a combined 23 years in prison by a Harare Magistrate on rape and robbery charges.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the 23-year-old female complainant met the accused person at Mbare Musika on June 15, 2024, at around 6:30 pm as she was coming from Masvingo.
The accused person offered to help the complainant with her luggage without charge. He then took her to a dark spot near the Simon Mazorodze Flyover in Mbare, claiming he was leading her to a place where she could easily get transport to the Central Business District (CBD).
However, upon arrival at the flyover, the accused person demanded US$20 as payment for his services.
When the complainant stated that she had no money and offered US$3 instead, the accused person rejected the offer, took her luggage, and disappeared into a nearby tunnel.
The complainant followed him, at which point he produced a knife, threatened her, and then proceeded to rape her.
After committing the offence, the accused person took the complainant’s laptop and power pack.
The complainant was assisted by a passerby who took her to the police station. She was able to positively identify the accused person at the Mbare Musika rank the following day, leading to the recovery of the stolen laptop and power pack.
The accused person was sentenced to 15 years in prison for the rape and an additional 8 years for the robbery, resulting in a combined sentence of 23 years.
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