Tsholotsho village head jailed 27 years for rape

A-VILLAGE head from Denge in Tsholotsho was last week slapped with a 27-year prison sentence for raping a mentally challenged woman and her daughter who also has a disability.

Milton Ndoboyi Sibanda (64) denied the rape charges when he appeared before Bulawayo regional magistrate Elisha Singano.

At the close of the State case, Singano sentenced him to 27 years in jail, while seven years were suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour.

Prosecutor Patience Sibanda told the court that sometime in September 2021 at night, the village head arrived at the homestead where the two victims aged 54 and 23 respectively stayed and found them preparing to sleep.

He proposed love to the daughter and promised to buy her soap and toothpaste, but he was turned down.

The village head then caressed the disabled girl before raping her. He went on to rape the mother who is mentally challenged.

He raped them several times until he left in the morning.

On September 22, the women narrated their ordeal to their neighbour who accompanied them to make a police report on September 28, leading to the rapist's arrest.