The Sunday News
Michael Magoronga, Midlands Correspondent
A Silobela trio was given a combined 30 years imprisonment sentence by a Gokwe magistrate who found them guilty of armed robbery, attempted rape and malicious damage to property charges.
Gokwe regional magistrate Mr Solomon Jenya convicted Stanford Sibanda (23), Gugulethu Nhliziyo (21), and Hurbet Nkiwane (21) and gave them 10 years in jail each for the crimes they committed.
Mr Jenya convicted the trio of two counts of armed robbery, a count of indecent assault and a count of malicious damage to property.
It is the State’s case that on 23 November 2017, the trio was drinking at Mzila Bottle Store in Silobela. The three, the court heard, had an altercation with one Johannes Magwaya over an undisclosed issue. The court was told that the trio turned violent and withdrew knives, machetes and an axe before they manhandled Magwaya.
Magwaya somehow managed to escape and disappeared into the darkness. Angered by this, the armed trio started destroying windowpanes at the shops before heading for Magwaya’s homestead.
On arrival, the enraged trio could not find Magwaya and instead found his sister Lillian and wife Emelda.
The trio ordered them to remove their clothes threatening to slit their throats if they refused. It was the State’s case that Sibanda and Nkiwane then forced open Lillian’s legs while Nhliziyo masturbated and promised to sexually abuse her if he was done with masturbating. The trio allegedly terrorised the two women for the better part of the night saying if Magwaya did not turn up, they would rape and kill the duo.
Discovering they were on a wild goose chase, the trio then collected foodstuffs and property including blankets, a television set, a radio and other small household property before disappearing. The two women reported the matter at Silobela Police Station.
A Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) taskforce was unleashed on the trio and apprehended them as they were drinking beer at Mzila Shopping Centre.
They were arraigned before the courts and sentenced to 10 years each.
Mr Tinei Tirigo represented the State.
