Zimbabweans rally behind convicted Sikhonzile Sibanda

Zimbabweans both in the United Kingdom and back home have rallied behind convicted Gwanda born and bred rapist Sikhonzile Sibanda. Sibanda was recently found guilty of one count of rape at Basildon Crown Court Essex in the United Kingdom and was sentenced to an effective five and half years in jail.

Charges against Sibanda, 37, were that he sexually assaulted a fellow Zimbabwean woman over night of the 25th to the 26th of May 2012 at the woman's flat in Prittleway. He was arrested a few days later and was last week found guilty of the offence which has got his name listed in the United Kingdom Sex Offenders Register for life.

Friends and relatives have however expressed disbelief at the conviction as they believe Sibanda was no kind of man to have committed such an offence. However, according to the Investigating Officer Chris Bradford, the woman gave a vivid account of the incident which led to Sibanda's indisputable conviction.

"We can only but commend and praise this woman for helping us prosecute this man and put him behind bars. She had the courage to relive her traumatic ordeal when she took to the witness stand and gave a vivid account of what happened to her.

"This was a man whom she believed she could trust having known him, but he then raped her in her own home." Said Bradford.

A close friend of Sibanda, Mthandazo Lucky Dlodlo who has created a solidarity Facebook page F.O.S.S (Friends Of Sikhonzile Sibanda) does not want to believe that Sibanda would have committed the offence. The friend admits that indeed sex did take place between his friend the woman five years older than Sibanda but does not want to believe that it was rape. Lawyers are already up on an appeal case with the hope of proving Sibanda's innocence according to Dlodlo.

Sibanda's auntie Venancio Nyoni who has known him all of his life also agrees with Dlodlo that there is no way Sikhonzile could have committed such an outrageous case.

"I have known Sikhonzile for 37 years, not only have I known him but have bathed him, he is my son. He has grown a very respectful person with no intentions to harm anyone. What has happened to him comes as a shock to us as family a deep down in us we know that Sikhonzile will never do such a thing." She said.

Adding to these voices, Sikhulile Nyathi who claims that he saw Sikhonzile grow up as a young man in Gwanda and knows and trusted him as a well behaved young man does not want to believe that the young man would have suddenly changed so radically in life to be able to rape a woman who trusted him.

"I know people do change at times, but as far as I know there are some changes that are un-imaginable to happen to some people. I know Sikhonzile from many years ago. He grew up playing with my young brother, in all those years Sikhonzile was a focused disciplined young man who took everything that he did seriously including his education, that is why I felt comfortable for my brother to hang around with him, because he was never a delinquent boy. For me today, to hear that he has committed such a crime in the UK is a great shock to me," said Nyathi a senior resident of Gwanda also now living in the United Kingdom.

However, asked in the same breath how the Facebook page refered to Sikhonzile's girlfriend in the United Kingdom when Sikhonzile was in Zimbabwe recently where he got married to another woman, Nyathi's response was that somethings may not be said on social media like Facebook but people must just rally behind the convicted rapist.

"Some of the things we can not just divulge them on Facebook, but what you only need to know is that he needs our unity, prayers and testimonies about what we know about him," responded Nyathi.

According to Dlodlo, a woman from Leeds has volunteered to come to court and give testimony on how caring and threatless Sibanda is as she claims to have once spent a night with him at her apartment in similar circumstances and she didn't see any signs of Sibanda having a go at raping anyone.

"From Leeds I have just logged a beautiful friend of Sikho, who also says she is willing to stand before the Judge and testify, she says she spent wanton hours in the company of Sikhonzile, and had he been the rampaging bull that the courts are trying to portray, she might have picked on it long back. They shared the same roof with no untoward shinnagans happening.."

Contacted for a comment, Sibanda's mother who is in Zimbabwe thanked all friends and relatives particularly those in the United Kingdom for standing by the family through this trying time and believes in her son's innocence. Magugu Bhebhe, Sibanda's wife also expressed the family's gratitude to everyone who has stood by the family.

"It has been such a shock to the family but we are grateful to have friends like you who are so supportive. Mr Mthandazo Lucky Dlodlo Luyanda (Sikhonzile's daughter) is very grateful to have an uncle like you. Keep up the good work, we pray for justice and the truth shall come out."

Several Zimbabweans are languishing in United Kingdom prisons for various crimes ranging from rape to fraud to domestic violence and has led to a general out cry from the citizens there.