The Chronicle

BULAWAYO, Wednesday, May 13, 1992 — Senior Bulawayo regional magistrate Mr Nicholas Ndou yesterday described rapists as selfish individuals who failed to realise the life-long trauma they inflicted on their victims.

Sentencing Mangalisa Moyo (53) to three years in prison for attempting to rape a fellow villager’s daughter, Mr Ndou said offences of rape were prevalent in the country. “What men seem not to realise or understand is that what amounts to a brief moment of sexual gratification on their part can traumatise the victim for life.

“What these men want is gratification and as soon as they get it they just walk away without caring for the victim,” said Mr Ndou.

He said the court’s pleas against the raping of women and children were falling on deaf ears. Moyo from Tsholotsho communal lands, had one year of his sentence conditionally suspended for five years.

Agreed facts were that sometime in December last year the girl, who was then doing Form Four, went to the man’s homestead to show his wife some of the woolen hats that she was selling.

The wife indicated that she had no money and referred the girl to her husband who was painting a house at another homestead in the same area. The man took one hat for his wife and told the girl that he would bring the money to her parents’ home as he was still busy. The man later went to the girl’s home and invited her to come to his place to collect the money. The two left for the man’s house and on arrival, he attempted to rape the girl but she struggled and screamed until he let her go. Mr Austin Sibanda prosecuted while Mr Job Sibanda represented the man.