By Jeremiah Gora
CRIME REPORTER
Six people have been jailed in separate cases involving rape, unlawful entry and theft, and possession of dagga, with the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ) warning offenders that they will face the full force of the law.
In Mutare, an 18-year-old man was sentenced to an effective 15 years in prison for raping his 15-year-old neighbour.
According to the NPAZ, the offender raped the girl on August 3, 2026, after offering her a lift home from school in a commuter omnibus.
The court heard that he diverted from the usual route and parked in a secluded bushy area before folding back the vehicle seats.
He then produced a knife and threatened to kill the girl if she disclosed what was about to happen.
The offender allegedly grabbed her by the neck, forced her onto a seat and raped her before driving away and leaving her to return home.
The victim immediately reported the matter to her sister, resulting in the offender’s arrest.
The NPAZ said it condemns all forms of sexual violence, particularly offences committed against vulnerable children.
The authority warned that perpetrators will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
In Gwanda, a 38-year-old man from Esidulini Village, Filabusi, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for raping his 29-year-old former girlfriend twice.
The offender allegedly went to the victim’s homestead in September 2026 while armed with an axe and forced her to accompany him towards a bus stop.
He later took her into a bushy area, ordered her to lie down and threatened to strike her with the axe before raping her.
He also forcibly took US$50 from the victim.
The NPAZ stressed that being in a relationship does not amount to consent.
“Being in a relationship, whether current or past, does not constitute consent to sexual intimacy,” the authority said.
“No individual has the right to force, threaten or intimidate another person into sexual activity,” it added.
Meanwhile, the Tredgold Magistrates’ Court sentenced a 21-year-old Tsholotsho man to an effective 15 years for raping a 20-year-old woman.
The offender allegedly entered the victim’s bedroom through an unlocked door at about 11pm on August 21, 2026.
He allegedly overpowered and pinned her down before raping her without her consent.
The court heard that he raped the woman three times during the night, with the final assault occurring at about 4am on August 22.
The victim escaped from the homestead at around 6am and reported the matter to a local village head, leading to the offender’s arrest.
The NPAZ said rape is a very serious crime that could leave victims with lifelong physical and psychological scars.
In Karoi, Panashe Mutambara, 19, was sentenced to an effective 12 months in prison for unlawful entry and theft.
The court heard that Mutambara used an iron bar to break through a wall of a house at Village 2, Nyarenda, on September 28.
He stole US$35, a 5kg gas tank, a white T-shirt, a radio, 20kg of maize seed, 18 metres of cloth and one litre of glyphosate herbicide, with the stolen property valued at US$244.
Police later recovered several of the stolen items, including the gas tank, T-shirt, radio and 13.5 metres of cloth.
The recovered property, valued at US$95, was positively identified by the victim.
The NPAZ urged members of the public to respect other people’s property and resolve financial and personal challenges through lawful means.
In Chinhoyi, Aristotle Keith Mabvira, 32, of White City, was sentenced to an effective 30 months in prison for unlawful possession of dangerous drugs.
Police recovered more than 1kg of dagga from his room at House No. 5702, White City, on June 4, 2026.
The drugs comprised a transparent plastic bag containing dagga, 21 sachets and 57 prepared dagga cigarettes.
The substance weighed 1.055kg, with Mabvira failing to produce a permit authorising possession.
He was sentenced to 36 months, with six months suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour.
In Gweru, Sipholicious Moyo, 26, of Woodlands Phase 2, was sentenced to an effective eight months in prison for unlawful possession of dagga.
Police recovered two sachets containing dagga from his residence on September 25, 2026. The substance weighed 0.066kg.
Moyo was sentenced to 12 months, with four months suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour, leaving eight months to serve effectively.
The dagga was forfeited to the State for destruction.
The NPAZ warned members of the public against the possession, peddling, and abuse of drugs and dangerous substances, saying offenders involved in drug-related criminal activities would face the full weight of the law.
The authority also urged communities to work with law enforcement agencies by reporting suspected criminal activities to help prevent and detect crime.
