The Sunday News
Sukoluhle Ndlovu, Midlands Correspondent
TWO men from Harare who have allegedly been in the habit of raping their victims after robbing them have appeared in court facing 25 counts of rape, robbery, unlawful entry and assault.
Simbarashe Muwaniki (35) and Tinashe Mazheke (36) of Kuwadzana 3 in Harare pleaded not guilty to all counts when they appeared before Gweru regional magistrate Mrs Phathekile Msipha last week. They were remanded in custody to Friday for trial.
The court heard that on 18 February 18, Muwaniki and Mazheke went to first complainant’s house (name withheld) in South View suburb in Gweru, and entered the house through the window.
The two proceeded to the complainant’s bedroom and took US$2 200 and $1 500. They proceeded to the other bedroom where they took $50 and R250. After stealing the money, they took turns to rape the complainant while her 13-year-old son watched helplessly.
On 22 March, the duo went to another complainant’s residence in Southdowns suburb in Gweru and broke into the house.
They went to her bedroom and demanded money.
They took US$125, $60 and her three cellphones.
They also stole her two cars, a Mazda pick-up and a Toyota which they used as getaway cars.
The cars were later found dumped along Chiwundura Road a day later.
On 26 March, the daring thieves broke into the third complainant’s house (name withheld) in West End suburb in Kwekwe and robbed her of $486 and a cellphone at gunpoint.
They went on to assault the complainant with an iron bar on her left leg before raping her.
On 3 April, the duo went to the fourth complainant’s (name withheld) place of residence in Athlone in Gweru where they broke into her house.
They demanded money threatening to strike her with a metal bar.
They took soaps, four cases of cooking oil, three cases of sugar, a 42-inch television set, a brown therapeutic king-size bed, a five-kilogramme gas tank, two cellphones and US$75.
They loaded their loot into her Nissan Hardbody vehicle which they used as a getaway car.
On 30 April, Muwaniki broke into a house in Simbi Park in Redcliff and robbed the fifth complainant of her phone and cash before raping her.
On the same day, the two accused persons broke into another complainant’s house in South View in Gweru and assaulted her with an iron bar before forcefully taking her phone. Muwaniki and Masheke were arrested in Kuwadzana Area 4 while trying to sell their loot. Mr Talent Tadenyika prosecuted.
@sukusinini
