| Beitbridge Bureau Chief | | | |
| Monday, 18 April 2011 22:39 |
| A Beitbridge tout was recently jailed 25 years effective for raping and robbing a woman he waylaid along the Beitbridge-Masvingo highway. Thulani Sibanda (27) of Dulibadzimu suburb in the border town had initially pleaded not guilty to the charges of robbery and rape when he appeared before Matabeleland South regional magistrate Mr Owen Tagu. He was, however, convicted on the strength of overwhelming evidence. Prosecutor Mr Johannes Tlou, told the court that on April 9 this year, the 34-year-old woman disembarked from a truck which was coming from Masvingo at the Masvingo-Bulawayo turn off in Beitbridge at around 9 pm. She met Sibanda along a bushy path near Red Quinn garage who then grabbed her from behind, threatening to assault her if she screamed. He then dragged her to a secluded area in the bush where he raped her once. After that he stole the woman's cell phone and ordered her to go and leave her bags at a security guard near Red Quinn garage. The woman complied and the two went to the garage on the guise that they were going to attend a musical show at a local nightclub. They then started moving towards the Beitbridge-Masvingo highway. However, along the way two vehicles approached from behind. The woman then grabbed Sibanda from behind and screamed for help. A group of men in the vehicles rescued the woman. They apprehended Sibanda and recovered the cell phone. Sibanda was handed over to the police. Meanwhile, appearing before the same magistrate was a 28-year-old man who was accused of raping an eight-year-old girl after dragging her to a bushy area. Tinashe Ngwenya of Chamutewa area in Madaulo area was convicted on one count of rape following a fully contested trial. He was left with 12 years effective to serve after Mr Tagu conditionally suspended six years of his sentence for five years. Charges were that on December 9 last year, he went to the borehole in the same village where he met the girl who was busy pumping water into a bucket. He asked her to accompany him to the bush to look for Mopani worms but the girl refused. Ngwenya grabbed her by the hand and dragged her into the bush where he raped her once. Soon after committing the offense he promised to give girl some money. However, the girl went home and informed her father who reported the matter to the police. |
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