News / Regional
Man rapes 3, robs 6 women in 1 year of terror
17 Aug 2015 at 11:53hrs | Views
A BULAWAYO serial rapist-cum-robber, who would hold a knife to his victims' throats and ask them to choose between death or rape during a 12-month reign of terror, has been sentenced to 72 years in jail.
Thulani Dube, 30, of Njube suburb raped three women and robbed six others from March last year until he was arrested in April this year. Dube, who was initially facing six counts of rape, only pleaded guilty to one count.
Bulawayo regional magistrate Mark Dzira, on Friday convicted Dube of three counts of rape and six counts of robbery.
He was sentenced to 18 years in jail for each count of rape and three years for each count of robbery, bringing the period he would be incarcerated to 72 years.
Dube will, however, serve an effective 62 years in jail after 10 years from the rape sentence were suspended for five years on condition that he does not within that period commit a similar crime.
Magistrate Dzira, in his judgment, ruled that Chitsa's testimony was fraught with lies and inconsistencies.
"You robbed victims of their valuables and they didn't recover them, meaning that you benefited. As if that wasn't enough, you even went to an extent of raping some of the victims at knifepoint asking them to choose between death and rape," said Dzira.
He bemoaned the increase in rape cases despite the harsh sentences being passed by the courts.
"Rape is a traumatising experience as evidenced by one of the victims who wept as she gave her evidence in court. This isn't a crime that occurred on the spur of the moment. In fact, you carefully planned to commit the crimes and your moral blameworthiness is very high. Those women that you raped are still going through hell and you should learn the hard way that crime doesn't pay," said Dzira.
Prosecuting, Tinashe Dzipe said on March 13 last year, Dube met a 22-year-old woman who was looking for employment as a housemaid along Lobengula Street and told her he knew someone who wanted her services.
"They walked through Egodini (Basch Street Terminus) and passed through Makokoba suburb and proceeded to Trenance where they followed a footpath. He produced a knife and robbed the woman of her cellphone and $20," said Dzipe.
The court heard that Dube then asked his victim to choose between being raped or being killed, but the woman did not respond. He forcibly removed her clothes and raped her.
On June 4, 2014, shortly after 5PM, Dube, working with an unidentified woman who is still at large, lied to another woman that his mother wanted a maid. The victim accompanied Dube and his accomplice to Trenance suburb where he claimed his mother lived.
"When they approached Northlea High School, the unidentified woman said she wanted to collect her younger sister from school and advised the victim to proceed with Dube," Dzipe told the court.
When they reached a bushy area, Dube pulled out a knife from his pocket, demanded money, searched the woman and stole two cellphones and $15.
The court heard that Dube ordered the victim to remove her pair of jeans before raping her once.
The victim returned to the city centre and informed her aunt who assisted her to make a report at Bulawayo Central Police Station.
"On June 7 the same year at about 9AM, Dube met another victim who was walking in a bushy area long Victoria Falls Road.
"He grabbed her by the hand from behind before asking her to choose between being raped or having her throat slit. In fear, the victim chose to be raped," said Dzipe.
Dube dragged the woman from the footpath into the bush where he robbed her of a Nokia C1 cellphone before raping her. The victim reported the matter at Barbourfields Police Station.
Dzipe told the court that on December 3 during the same year, pretending to be on his way to Lupane, Dube approached Senzelweyinkosi Mhlanga who was waiting for lifts to Lupane.
The rapist pretended to have left his car at United College of Education (UCE) and asked Mhlanga to accompany him to the car so that they could travel together to Lupane.
"When they approached UCE, Dube produced a knife and demanded money from Mhlanga who handed over her bag with $100 and R1,500," said Dzipe.
In April this year, Dube who pretended to be a conductor of a minibus ready for departure, also approached Sithulile Dube at Amakhosi Cultural Square where she was looking for transport to Victoria Falls.
They boarded a black Honda Fit heading to where Dube claimed to have parked the minibus. They dropped off at Shonga Lodge turnoff where Dube produced a knife and forcibly took two cellphones and $404.
Dube was apprehended on June 1 this year when he led Morchratis Mlala of Emganwini suburb to Richmond under the pretext that his boss wanted two female domestic workers.
The two boarded a kombi and disembarked at Mpilo Central Hospital terminus and proceeded into a bushy area towards Richmond suburb.
"Dube realised that there were men approaching them and he grabbed Mlala's bag and fled towards Richmond. The men ran after him and managed to apprehend him and handed him over to the police, leading to his arrest," said Dzipe.
Thulani Dube, 30, of Njube suburb raped three women and robbed six others from March last year until he was arrested in April this year. Dube, who was initially facing six counts of rape, only pleaded guilty to one count.
Bulawayo regional magistrate Mark Dzira, on Friday convicted Dube of three counts of rape and six counts of robbery.
He was sentenced to 18 years in jail for each count of rape and three years for each count of robbery, bringing the period he would be incarcerated to 72 years.
Dube will, however, serve an effective 62 years in jail after 10 years from the rape sentence were suspended for five years on condition that he does not within that period commit a similar crime.
Magistrate Dzira, in his judgment, ruled that Chitsa's testimony was fraught with lies and inconsistencies.
"You robbed victims of their valuables and they didn't recover them, meaning that you benefited. As if that wasn't enough, you even went to an extent of raping some of the victims at knifepoint asking them to choose between death and rape," said Dzira.
He bemoaned the increase in rape cases despite the harsh sentences being passed by the courts.
"Rape is a traumatising experience as evidenced by one of the victims who wept as she gave her evidence in court. This isn't a crime that occurred on the spur of the moment. In fact, you carefully planned to commit the crimes and your moral blameworthiness is very high. Those women that you raped are still going through hell and you should learn the hard way that crime doesn't pay," said Dzira.
Prosecuting, Tinashe Dzipe said on March 13 last year, Dube met a 22-year-old woman who was looking for employment as a housemaid along Lobengula Street and told her he knew someone who wanted her services.
"They walked through Egodini (Basch Street Terminus) and passed through Makokoba suburb and proceeded to Trenance where they followed a footpath. He produced a knife and robbed the woman of her cellphone and $20," said Dzipe.
The court heard that Dube then asked his victim to choose between being raped or being killed, but the woman did not respond. He forcibly removed her clothes and raped her.
On June 4, 2014, shortly after 5PM, Dube, working with an unidentified woman who is still at large, lied to another woman that his mother wanted a maid. The victim accompanied Dube and his accomplice to Trenance suburb where he claimed his mother lived.
"When they approached Northlea High School, the unidentified woman said she wanted to collect her younger sister from school and advised the victim to proceed with Dube," Dzipe told the court.
When they reached a bushy area, Dube pulled out a knife from his pocket, demanded money, searched the woman and stole two cellphones and $15.
The court heard that Dube ordered the victim to remove her pair of jeans before raping her once.
The victim returned to the city centre and informed her aunt who assisted her to make a report at Bulawayo Central Police Station.
"On June 7 the same year at about 9AM, Dube met another victim who was walking in a bushy area long Victoria Falls Road.
"He grabbed her by the hand from behind before asking her to choose between being raped or having her throat slit. In fear, the victim chose to be raped," said Dzipe.
Dube dragged the woman from the footpath into the bush where he robbed her of a Nokia C1 cellphone before raping her. The victim reported the matter at Barbourfields Police Station.
Dzipe told the court that on December 3 during the same year, pretending to be on his way to Lupane, Dube approached Senzelweyinkosi Mhlanga who was waiting for lifts to Lupane.
The rapist pretended to have left his car at United College of Education (UCE) and asked Mhlanga to accompany him to the car so that they could travel together to Lupane.
"When they approached UCE, Dube produced a knife and demanded money from Mhlanga who handed over her bag with $100 and R1,500," said Dzipe.
In April this year, Dube who pretended to be a conductor of a minibus ready for departure, also approached Sithulile Dube at Amakhosi Cultural Square where she was looking for transport to Victoria Falls.
They boarded a black Honda Fit heading to where Dube claimed to have parked the minibus. They dropped off at Shonga Lodge turnoff where Dube produced a knife and forcibly took two cellphones and $404.
Dube was apprehended on June 1 this year when he led Morchratis Mlala of Emganwini suburb to Richmond under the pretext that his boss wanted two female domestic workers.
The two boarded a kombi and disembarked at Mpilo Central Hospital terminus and proceeded into a bushy area towards Richmond suburb.
"Dube realised that there were men approaching them and he grabbed Mlala's bag and fled towards Richmond. The men ran after him and managed to apprehend him and handed him over to the police, leading to his arrest," said Dzipe.
Source - chronicle
