News / Local
Man (57) gets 40 years behind bars for raping neighbour's daughters
02 May 2014 at 02:54hrs | Views
A 57-year-old Bulawayo man who thought he could have a six-year-old for a girlfriend, was yesterday sentenced to 40 years behind bars.
Ndola Gwebu, a father of three from Mzilikazi suburb, will effectively serve 25 years for performing a crude, indecent act on a neighbour's child whom he forced to suck his manhood while he inserted a finger in her privates and raping the girl's sister aged 13.
Gwebu pleaded guilty to two counts of indecent assault and rape and was duly convicted.
Announcing his judgement yesterday, regional magistrate Chris Mberewere, said cases of child abuse were on the increase and Gwebu's sentence was meant to send a clear message to would-be rapists.
"This court finds you guilty as charged and you are sentenced to 25 years imprisonment for two counts of indecent assault and to 15 years imprisonment for rape. Of the total 40 years of your sentence, 15 years have been suspended for five years on condition you do not commit similar offences," said Mberewere.
Prosecuting, Trust Mudume said on a date unknown, between November 2013 and January 2014, the accused called the two complainants into his house on separate occasions and committed the crimes.
He said Gwebu called the first complainant, who is aged six, into his house and told her that he wanted to have sex with her in exchange for money.
Gwebu told the girl to suck his manhood. For the second count he allegedly inserted a finger in the complainant's privates.
Mudume said Gwebu gave the girl $1 and lied to her that it was a $5 note and she went home.
Gwebu also raped the second complainant in a separate incident.
"The matter came to light when the two reported the matter to their parents leading to the accused's arrest," said the prosecutor.
In his defence, Gwebu said he knew the second complainant as a young neighbour as she used to visit him at his house.
According to him, she used to spend most of her time at his house but he denied raping her.
He told the court that he asked the girl if she had turned down his proposal to have sex because of his HIV status and claimed that the girl suggested that they could have sex during her menstrual cycle on condition that they used protection.
He added that later the complainant brought with her a younger relative and suggested to him that she could be his girlfriend.
He said he was surprised when the complainants reported him leading to his arrest after being silent since November last year and suggested that the complainants were influenced by their parents.
In mitigation, Gwebu, a pensioner, asked for a lesser sentence saying he was a married man with three children aged 22, 25 and 18 and is the breadwinner in his family.
Ndola Gwebu, a father of three from Mzilikazi suburb, will effectively serve 25 years for performing a crude, indecent act on a neighbour's child whom he forced to suck his manhood while he inserted a finger in her privates and raping the girl's sister aged 13.
Gwebu pleaded guilty to two counts of indecent assault and rape and was duly convicted.
Announcing his judgement yesterday, regional magistrate Chris Mberewere, said cases of child abuse were on the increase and Gwebu's sentence was meant to send a clear message to would-be rapists.
"This court finds you guilty as charged and you are sentenced to 25 years imprisonment for two counts of indecent assault and to 15 years imprisonment for rape. Of the total 40 years of your sentence, 15 years have been suspended for five years on condition you do not commit similar offences," said Mberewere.
Prosecuting, Trust Mudume said on a date unknown, between November 2013 and January 2014, the accused called the two complainants into his house on separate occasions and committed the crimes.
He said Gwebu called the first complainant, who is aged six, into his house and told her that he wanted to have sex with her in exchange for money.
Gwebu told the girl to suck his manhood. For the second count he allegedly inserted a finger in the complainant's privates.
Mudume said Gwebu gave the girl $1 and lied to her that it was a $5 note and she went home.
Gwebu also raped the second complainant in a separate incident.
"The matter came to light when the two reported the matter to their parents leading to the accused's arrest," said the prosecutor.
In his defence, Gwebu said he knew the second complainant as a young neighbour as she used to visit him at his house.
According to him, she used to spend most of her time at his house but he denied raping her.
He told the court that he asked the girl if she had turned down his proposal to have sex because of his HIV status and claimed that the girl suggested that they could have sex during her menstrual cycle on condition that they used protection.
He added that later the complainant brought with her a younger relative and suggested to him that she could be his girlfriend.
He said he was surprised when the complainants reported him leading to his arrest after being silent since November last year and suggested that the complainants were influenced by their parents.
In mitigation, Gwebu, a pensioner, asked for a lesser sentence saying he was a married man with three children aged 22, 25 and 18 and is the breadwinner in his family.
Source - Chronicle
