Midlands Correspondent
A 73-year-old Zhombe man has been sentenced to an effective 15 years in prison by Kwekwe Regional Magistrate Rumbidzai Mugwagwa for repeatedly raping his 13-year-old granddaughter.
The court heard that the sexual abuse began in 2024 after the man asked the girl to accompany him to a cattle pen in Mambondiya Village, under Chief Samambwa in Zhombe, Midlands Province.
According to evidence presented in court, while they were on their way to the cattle pen, the man ordered the girl to undress before raping her. He then gave her money and warned her not to disclose the abuse to anyone.
The abuse continued on multiple occasions, with the accused taking advantage of times when the child’s grandmother was away from home to sexually assault her.
The abuse came to an end on July 31 this year when the girl disclosed what had been happening. The matter was subsequently reported to the police, leading to the man’s arrest.
The court’s sentence brings an end to a case involving the prolonged sexual abuse of a minor by a family member and highlights the vulnerability of children to abuse within trusted family settings.
