Landlady- raping tenant jailed 9yrs

A 20-YEAR-OLD MAN, who raped his 35-year-old landlady at knife-point while her four minor children watched, has been sentenced to an effective nine years in jail.

Uiss Zuze gained entry into his landlady’s bedroom through the window in the wee hours.

He took advantage of the absence of the woman’s husband, who is in jail for rape, to abuse her.

Zuze was convicted by Harare regional magistrate Ms Lucy Mungwari after a full trial due to overwhelming evidence.

Ms Mungwari sentenced him to 13 years in prison, but suspended four years on condition of good behaviour.

According to Ms Mungwari, a lengthy custodial sentence was befitting for Zuze considering that he exposed the victim to sexually transmitted diseases.

She said the court needed to send a strong message to would-be offenders.

In aggravation, prosecutor Mr Ephraim Zinyandu urged the court to give Zuze a long prison sentence.

The State managed to prove that on December 10 last year, at around 3am, the victim was sleeping in her bedroom with her four children when she heard someone breaking her window.

She then switched on her cellphone light and saw Zuze entering the bedroom through the window.

He then told the woman that he wanted to be intimate with her.

He took out a knife from his pocket and threatened to stab the woman if she failed to comply with his demands.

Zuze ordered the woman to remove all her clothes before raping her.

After the act, he stole the woman’s mobile phone and jumped out of the bedroom through the window and disappeared into the darkness.

The woman sought help from neighbours and her grandmother who accompanied her to the police station where she reported the matter leading to Zuze’s arrest.