The Sunday News
Belinda Moyo, Sunday News Reporter
A MAN from Mpopoma suburb in Bulawayo who raped his ex wife and claimed that she had agreed to the act has been sentenced to 12 years in prison.
The 27 year-old appeared in court facing charges of contravening section 65(1) of the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act Chapter 9:23 – rape and pleaded not guilty to the charges saying he did not rape his ex wife but they had consensual sex.
The State case as presented by the prosecutor Mr Simbarashe Manyiwa told the court that on 27 April this year around seven o’clock in the evening the man approached the complainant at Thikili shops where she works and lured her to accompany him to his place of residence to collect Trade Fair Tickets from his uncle and the complainant agreed.
When the two arrived at the place the court heard that they got inside the house but there was nobody in the sitting room and suddenly he pulled her blouse and brassiere and dragged her into his room and closed the door.
The court further heard that he pushed the complainant onto the bed aggressively removing her skirt and forced himself on her without her consent.
It was the State case that the complainant screamed but no one came to her rescue because of the excessive noise from a hi-fi which was playing music inside the room.
The woman is said to have managed to escape and ran out of the room wearing a petticoat only and went home and took a baby blanket from the washing line and wrapped herself, she then informed her brothers who accompanied her to the police.
The magistrate Mr Crispen Mberewere condemned the act .
“The accused is found guilty of rape which he sees nothing wrong in doing what he did, he is sentenced to 12 years in prison. Four years is wholly suspended on the case on condition that he does not commit any crime of a similar nature in five years,” said Mr Mberewere.
