Robber (31) tries to rape granny (73)

A 31-YEAR-OLD man from Bulawayo allegedly broke into a 73-year-old woman’s home, stole $87 and a cellphone at knife point before telling her he had come to rape her.

The intruder allegedly held a knife to the old woman’s throat and roughed her up before trying to force himself on her.

The old woman, a pensioner, was so traumatised she could not face her attacker in court yesterday.

She testified at the Victim Friendly Court (VFC) and spoke through the camera.

She said the man who is her domestic worker’s brother smashed her bedroom window and when she peeped out asking who it was, the man told her that he had come to rape her.

“He climbed through the window, took my cellphone and disconnected the landline. He placed a knife which had a reddish brown handle on my throat and threatened to kill me. When I tried to speak he hit me on the face,” she said.

“He shook me, pushed me onto the bed and tried to rape me, but he failed to penetrate. He demanded cash. I gave him $87 but, he said it was not enough and he started dragging me in the house looking for money in the cupboards.”

Before leaving, the man said: “See you again,” the granny told the court. The man pleaded not guilty to robbery and attempted rape before Bulawayo regional magistrate Mrs Sibongile-Msipa Marondedze.

Mrs Msipa-Marondedze remanded him in custody to November 14 for continuation of trial.

The man said he broke into the woman’s house but denied attempting to rape her.

“I only threatened her by word of mouth, took the money and her cell-phone. She opened the door for me and I left,” he said.

Prosecuting, Miss Concilia Ncube said the man jumped over the elderly woman’s fence on October 21, this year around 9PM.

She said the man smashed the elderly woman’s bedroom window and got inside the room where he pushed her onto the bed and tried to rape her.—@MondelaC

people in a sovereign nation,” said Cde Hlongwane.

Cde Machaya said he once issued a statement pleading for peace in Kwekwe when people went around attacking each other with machetes.

He urged party youths to remain united and shun violence.

“President Mugabe has taught us to be a peace loving people. We can’t have people going around killing each other. Let’s go back to the drawing board and work in unity as a party. A revolutionary party with values and ethos,” Cde Machaya said.