Stepfather rapes daughter, promises 'jiggies'

A stepfather who sexually abused his 16-year-old stepdaughter and promised to buy her chips as a way of buying her silence has been slapped with a 30-year jail term.

Nilford Ncube, 44, from Magulanjenga Mbowane Line in Tsholotsho appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Sikhumbuzo Nyathi facing two counts of rape.

Ncube who pleaded not guilty to both charges was slapped with an effective 20 years imprisonment after the state proved its case.

Ten years were suspended for two years on condition that he does not commit an offence involving sexual abuse.

Ncube, a father of 10 and husband to three wives, also told the court that he was HIV positive and he deliberately slept with the complainant fully aware of his status.

In arriving at the sentence, magistrate Nyathi considered Ncube's HIV status saying he was inconsiderate and reckless in having unprotected sex with the complainant who might have contracted the virus during the abuse.

Prosecutor Tinashe Dzipe told the court that on April 24 at about 12pm Ncube and the complainant were alone at Lewis Sibanda's homestead when Ncube asked his stepdaughter to bring bathing water into the his bedroom.

She complied and as soon as she went in Ncube shut the door before he started fondling her breast without consent.

He then tossed her onto his bed and raped her once.

After the act, the accused instructed the juvenile not to tell anyone and promised to buy her some potato crisps.

Four days later at around 12pm Ncube used the same method against his victim before raping her.

Once again he promised to buy some "jiggies" for her so as to keep the matter under wraps.

On April 30, the complainant and her aunt were working in the fields when the former started complaining about her painful right hand arm.

Upon being quizzed by the aunt that is when she disclosed that the accused had raped her twice.

A police report was made leading to Ncube's arrest.