13 years jail for ‘playing umlamu’

A HWANGE teacher who had sexual intercourse with his mentally challenged sister-in-law for six years claiming they were playing chiramu/umlamu has been jailed for an effective 13 years.

Tavengwa Timire (34), a teacher at Gebuza High School, took advantage of his wife’s absence to turn her younger sister into a sex slave from the time she was 14 until this year when she turned 20 years.

Timire told Hwange regional magistrate, Mrs Dambudzo Malunga that the woman consented to the sex.

“I didn’t see anything wrong with it as she had consented to the sexual activities that later took place. This whole thing started off as we were playing chiramu where she would act in a suggestive manner and I ended up falling for it. I was not even aware that she was mentally challenged,” he said. Timire was blasted by Mrs Malunga. “With all the overwhelming evidence presented you are still blaming everyone but yourself. You still trying to justify your actions,” she said.

Mrs Malunga described Timire as a cruel man who took advantage of the close relationship that he had with his sister-inlaw to rape her.

She jailed him for 15 years and suspended two for 5 years.

Through his lawyer, Mr Tonderai Mukuku, Timire challenged the rape accusations.

“Complainant was not forced but consented to the sexual affairs with the accused, hence cannot be termed rape. We also dispute the psychiatric report which stated that complainant suffers from moderate mental illness as all her actions including her reasons for not revealing the sexual affair could only be done by a normal person,” said Mr Mukuku.

Mr Tawanda Sigauke prosecuted.