A Rujeko couple in Masvingo was yesterday sentenced to 18 years after the hubby assisted his wife to rape an eight-year-old boy from the neighbourhood on several occasions.
Magistrate Patience Madondo suspended three years on Tsitsi Makota (45) and Alfred Makota (52) leaving them with an effective 15 years jail term each.
The magistrate did not rule out sex for rituals after noting that before the sex the couple would shake a concoction in a cup that had three stones. They would place the stones in a cloth and tie the cloth around the complainant’s head.
Hove representing the State said the two connived and planned to rape the boy who is doing Grade 2 at Shakashe. They would waylay the boy who stayed in the opposite street as he came back from extra lessons at school and drag him into their bedroom.
The two would both undress before they undressed the minor. The complainant would then be placed on top of the naked woman and perform sexual acts while the hubby pressed the boy’s back.
The crime was committed between January and April 2021.
At one time the complainant complained of a cracked foreskin but when his father queried, he lied that he fell while playing with other boys. The matter came to light when he used vulgar language at Church and an elder Edward Madhumira who is also a Police officer became suspicious and interrogated the boy.
The boy then narrated what went on between him and the accused and the case was reported to the Police.
He was able to describe the physical appearance of the two accused and in particular Tsitsi who he said had a wound on her thigh, a black patch on the buttocks which showed that she was burnt, an operation on her abdomen and a gap in her teeth.
The complainant also described the interior of the bedroom including the buckets that are always there.
The magistrate said although the two were first offenders their crime was a serious one because they abused a kid and introduced him to sex.
