The ManicaPost
Abel Zhakata Weekender Reporter
A MAKONI man sneaked from the bedroom – leaving his wife fast asleep – and went on to force himself on his 19-year-old daughter whom he subsequently impregnated.The 47-year-old father from Village 12, Chinyika who cannot be named for this will automatically reveal the identity of the complainant, will spend the next 30 years behind bars after he pleaded guilty to the offence.
Rusape regional magistrate, Mr Livingstone Chipadza, said the suspect was not fit to live in society because he raped his own daughter.
However, five years of the sentence were set aside on condition of good behaviour.
District public prosecutor, Mr Tirivanhu Mutyasira, said the father raped his daughter on two occasions last year.
In one of the incidences which occurred on December 1, the suspect sneaked out of his bedroom, leaving his wife asleep and pounced on his daughter.
“The accused is the biological father to the complainant and they stayed together with his wife. At around 1am, the accused person was sleeping together with his wife in the bedroom. In the dead of the night, he sneaked from the bedroom and went to his daughter’s room. He raped the girl without protection and threatened to stab her with a knife if ever she divulged the incident to anyone. After raping her he sneaked back to his bedroom without his wife noticing anything,” said Mr Mutyasira.
The State said on the second incident, he took advantage of his wife’s absence and repeated his modus operandi.
“The suspect woke up and headed to the complainant’s bedroom and slept beside her. The teenager did not notice anything as she was fast asleep. The accused person stated fondling his daughter and she woke up. She tried to scream for help, but he threatened her with a knife. He raped her once and returned to his bedroom. Before he left, he told his daughter not to reveal the incident to anyone as he would cut her head off with the knife,” said Mr Mutyasira and added:
“The matter came to light after the girl fell pregnant. She gave birth on August 2 this year to a baby girl, but she did not reveal the identity of the father. However, on September 21, her grandfather visited her inquiring about the baby’s paternity. After talking to the complainant she finally revealed what had happened. A police report was made leading to the arrest of the suspect.”
In an unrelated rape case, a 48-year-old Buhera man was slapped with a 15-year-jail term for raping his 14-year-old step-daughter.
The man had pleaded not guilty when he appeared before Mr Chipadza who convicted him after the State led by Mr Mutyasira led overwhelming evidence to warrant a conviction.
Allegations were that the suspect raped the girl on June 1 this year.
“On that date, the accused person arrived home from the bush where he had gone to trap mice. He found the complainant and her young brother alone at home and told the boy to go and check for cattle in the grazing lands. At that point, he called the girl into the kitchen and told her that he wanted to give her some mice. He, however, told the minor that for her to get the mice she should first sleep with her. The girl vehemently denied.
“He then grabbed the girl and dragged her to his bedroom and raped her once.
“The matter came to light on July 19 when a worker with Msasa Project got a tip-off about the incident and the matter was reported to the police,” said Mr Mutyasira.
Mr Chipadza set aside three years on the sentence on condition of good behaviour.
