Woman escapes further rape by jumping into sewage water

A Bulawayo woman told a court how she jumped into owing sewage to escape a repeat attack from a rapist, who held her captive and had already raped her once in a bushy area near the Bulawayo-Harare road.

Bulawayo regional magistrate Dambudzo Malunga on Thursday sentenced Thabani Nomasente (40) to 15 years in jail after convicting him of one charge of rape. Two years of the sentence were suspended for ve years on condition of good behaviour.

Nomasente who resides at Evelyn squatter camp in Bulawayo pounced on the woman on January 23 while she was coming from work going to her home in Cowdray Park.

He held her hostage and robbed her of her belongings and raped her once.

A passer-by came to her rescue and, joined by other people, he launched a manhunt for the suspect who they later apprehended and handed over to the police.