News / National
Man sodomised at gunpount after getting a lift enroute to Harare
13 Apr 2013 at 04:53hrs | Views
A HARARE-bound man was sodomised at gunpoint and lost cash and other valuables just 40 kilometres before his intended destination by people who had offered him a lift in Bulawayo.
This comes at a time when police in Mashonaland West have expressed concern at the increase in the number of people that are being robbed and abused by people who would have given them lifts.
The 33-year-old man boarded a BMW car along First Avenue in Bulawayo intending to go to Harare late on Tuesday afternoon together with two other people who, however, dropped off in Kwekwe and Kadoma.
There were two other people including the driver when he boarded the car and on approaching the Manyame River Bridge in Norton the driver stopped the vehicle and he and the other man got out.
One of them ordered the man to get out of the car but he tried to resist and the driver drew a pistol and fired a shot into the air.
They ordered him to take off his clothes and force-marched him into a bush where they took turns to sodomise him.
Mashonaland West police spokesperson inspector Clemence Mabgweazara confirmed the incident adding that investigations were in progress.
"We are dealing with a matter in which a man boarded a lift in Bulawayo before being sodomised and robbed of US$600, a passport, pair of trousers (leaving him naked) and a Samsung cellphone at gunpoint," he said.
He said they drove off towards Harare leaving him naked.
He was later helped by a well-wisher before going to Norton Hospital for treatment.
In another incident Sophia Mapuranga (32) was robbed near the Nyabira tollgate along the Harare-Chirundu Road.
Mapuranga boarded a lift at Westgate which had four people on board at around 6.45pm on Wednesday intending to go to Chinhoyi.
The driver turned into a side road and sensing danger Mapuranga opened the door and tried to jump out but was grabbed by one of the occupants.
They stopped the vehicle and assaulted her before taking away her bag which had a laptop, camera and a cellphone.
They left her in the bush and drove off but she later managed to get transport to Chinhoyi.
In another incident a couple intending to go to Bulawayo lost all they had after boarding a lift at the Harare Exhibition Park.
The driver later turned into the Norton-Chibero Road before the driver indicated that he wanted to collect some goods from someone along that road.
However, the driver abruptly stopped and ordered the passengers to leave everything they had in the car.
The four occupants on board lost window fittings, clothes and cellphones among other items.
Inspector Mabgweazara warned people against using private vehicles saying cases of people being robbed were on the increase.
"We would like to urge people to use public service vehicles because cases of people being robbed are on the increase," he said.
This comes at a time when police in Mashonaland West have expressed concern at the increase in the number of people that are being robbed and abused by people who would have given them lifts.
The 33-year-old man boarded a BMW car along First Avenue in Bulawayo intending to go to Harare late on Tuesday afternoon together with two other people who, however, dropped off in Kwekwe and Kadoma.
There were two other people including the driver when he boarded the car and on approaching the Manyame River Bridge in Norton the driver stopped the vehicle and he and the other man got out.
One of them ordered the man to get out of the car but he tried to resist and the driver drew a pistol and fired a shot into the air.
They ordered him to take off his clothes and force-marched him into a bush where they took turns to sodomise him.
Mashonaland West police spokesperson inspector Clemence Mabgweazara confirmed the incident adding that investigations were in progress.
"We are dealing with a matter in which a man boarded a lift in Bulawayo before being sodomised and robbed of US$600, a passport, pair of trousers (leaving him naked) and a Samsung cellphone at gunpoint," he said.
He said they drove off towards Harare leaving him naked.
He was later helped by a well-wisher before going to Norton Hospital for treatment.
In another incident Sophia Mapuranga (32) was robbed near the Nyabira tollgate along the Harare-Chirundu Road.
Mapuranga boarded a lift at Westgate which had four people on board at around 6.45pm on Wednesday intending to go to Chinhoyi.
The driver turned into a side road and sensing danger Mapuranga opened the door and tried to jump out but was grabbed by one of the occupants.
They stopped the vehicle and assaulted her before taking away her bag which had a laptop, camera and a cellphone.
They left her in the bush and drove off but she later managed to get transport to Chinhoyi.
In another incident a couple intending to go to Bulawayo lost all they had after boarding a lift at the Harare Exhibition Park.
The driver later turned into the Norton-Chibero Road before the driver indicated that he wanted to collect some goods from someone along that road.
However, the driver abruptly stopped and ordered the passengers to leave everything they had in the car.
The four occupants on board lost window fittings, clothes and cellphones among other items.
Inspector Mabgweazara warned people against using private vehicles saying cases of people being robbed were on the increase.
"We would like to urge people to use public service vehicles because cases of people being robbed are on the increase," he said.
Source - TH
