An apparently heartless 60-year-old Gweru man who raped a lady in her early 30s together with the woman’s daughter will spend the next 25 years behind bars after he was convicted of the crime he committed on Christmas Day, last year.
Initially, Gweru regional magistrate Phathekile Msipha had slapped Wester Maposa of Plot 52, Summerset Farm with a 30-year jail term before suspending five years on condition of good behaviour.
Msipha said the state had been advocating for a life sentence on Maposa who inhumanely raped the woman while her daughter was watching, before raping the woman’s daughter afterwards.
He pleaded not guilty to the charge.
“The State was advocating for life imprisonment for the accused because what he did is inhuman. He raped the mother while her daughter was watching in horror and then raped the daughter. The accused is sentenced to 30 years of which five years are suspended on condition of good behavior,” said the magistrate in her ruling.
Allegations are that, on Christmas Day last year at around 8am, the two complainants who cannot be named to protect the identity of the child, went to Maposa’s place with the mopane worms (madora or amacimbi) which they had bought from the now incarcerated rapist.
They reportedly wanted to return the mopane worms, also known as Gonimbrasia belina, because they were tasting bad.
But, Maposa who was alone at his homestead when the two complainants arrived, reportedly gave them food and told the woman and her daughter that he would take them to a certain prophet for prayers the following morning.
The court also heard that the duo went back to their homestead and later returned on the same day as they wanted to sleep at the accused person’s homestead before embarking on the journey to the prophet the following morning.
Maposa is said to have asked the complainant to prepare some food which she did and they ate together. He further told them to sleep in his bedroom, but they refused, opting to sleep in the kitchen, instead.
He however insisted that they sleep in his bedroom and the two slept on the floor.
Maposa then invited the woman to sleep with him on his bed, but she refused and slept with her daughter on the floor.
In a bid to quench his insatiable appetite for sex, the accused person then woke up and took an iron bar which was under his bed and ordered the two to remove their clothes.
He took a white cloth which was on his bed and used it to rub their breasts and private parts claiming to be removing evil spirits.
The court also heard that Maposa then told the woman that the Holy Spirit had tasked him to have sexual intercourse with her and the complainant refused.
The woman tried to run away but she was struck on the head with an iron bar and she fell down and became unconscious.
While the woman was still unconcious, Maposa raped her before turning to the daughter.
The accused later released them and they went to the police station where a report was made, leading to Maposa’s arrest.
state media
Additional Reporting: Zwnews
