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Gwanda serial rape, murder suspect arrested
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A 30-year-old man suspected of being a serial rapist and murderer has appeared in court in Gwanda facing one count of murder and two counts of rape, as police reportedly investigate other possible cases.
Nqobani Ncube, who has no fixed abode, was not asked to plead when he appeared before Gwanda magistrate Brenda Kachepa on the murder charge. He was remanded in custody to November 3.
Ncube had earlier pleaded guilty to two counts of rape before Gwanda regional magistrate Sithembiso Ndebele. He was remanded in custody to Friday, October 23, for sentencing.
The court heard that Ncube allegedly lived in a tent on a mountain outside Gwanda Town, where he is accused of abducting and sexually assaulting victims.
Prosecutor Ngonidzashe Shumba told the court that on October 14, Ncube allegedly abducted a 23-year-old woman near abandoned houses close to Mount Gazallet in Gwanda.
The court heard that he grabbed the woman from behind, produced an Okapi knife and threatened her before dragging her into the bushes south of Old Gwanda Road, where he allegedly raped her.
Ncube allegedly took the woman to several locations before forcing her into a shack situated south-east of the Bulawayo-Beitbridge Road.
According to the prosecution, the following day he tied the woman to a tree using shoelaces and left her before returning later and releasing her. He allegedly raped her again before tying her up once more.
The woman had reportedly picked up a small green pocket lighter from the shack. She used it to burn through the shoelaces, freeing herself before fleeing the scene.
She managed to stop a taxi along the Beitbridge-Gwanda Road and reported what had happened to the driver. The matter was subsequently reported to the police.
On October 17, the woman reportedly led police officers to the shack, where she identified Ncube, leading to his arrest.
In the separate murder case, Gwanda District public prosecutor Shepherd Moyo told the court that Ncube allegedly attacked a man who was walking home from work on September 26, 2026.
The incident reportedly occurred along a dust road passing through Gwanda Solar Project farm in Spitzkop North, Gwanda.
The court heard that Ncube, who was allegedly armed with a long spear, approached the man from behind and stabbed him once on the left side of the neck.
He allegedly took the victim's small black crossbody bag, which contained a Samsung cellphone and R20, before the injured man managed to escape towards three witnesses who were walking along the same road.
The man reportedly collapsed in front of the witnesses, bleeding heavily from the mouth and nose. He was unable to speak and died from the stab wound before he could be taken to hospital.
The matter was reported to the police, and the body was taken to Gwanda Provincial Hospital mortuary.
Ncube remains in custody as the rape and murder proceedings continue.
Nqobani Ncube, who has no fixed abode, was not asked to plead when he appeared before Gwanda magistrate Brenda Kachepa on the murder charge. He was remanded in custody to November 3.
Ncube had earlier pleaded guilty to two counts of rape before Gwanda regional magistrate Sithembiso Ndebele. He was remanded in custody to Friday, October 23, for sentencing.
The court heard that Ncube allegedly lived in a tent on a mountain outside Gwanda Town, where he is accused of abducting and sexually assaulting victims.
Prosecutor Ngonidzashe Shumba told the court that on October 14, Ncube allegedly abducted a 23-year-old woman near abandoned houses close to Mount Gazallet in Gwanda.
The court heard that he grabbed the woman from behind, produced an Okapi knife and threatened her before dragging her into the bushes south of Old Gwanda Road, where he allegedly raped her.
Ncube allegedly took the woman to several locations before forcing her into a shack situated south-east of the Bulawayo-Beitbridge Road.
According to the prosecution, the following day he tied the woman to a tree using shoelaces and left her before returning later and releasing her. He allegedly raped her again before tying her up once more.
The woman had reportedly picked up a small green pocket lighter from the shack. She used it to burn through the shoelaces, freeing herself before fleeing the scene.
She managed to stop a taxi along the Beitbridge-Gwanda Road and reported what had happened to the driver. The matter was subsequently reported to the police.
On October 17, the woman reportedly led police officers to the shack, where she identified Ncube, leading to his arrest.
In the separate murder case, Gwanda District public prosecutor Shepherd Moyo told the court that Ncube allegedly attacked a man who was walking home from work on September 26, 2026.
The incident reportedly occurred along a dust road passing through Gwanda Solar Project farm in Spitzkop North, Gwanda.
The court heard that Ncube, who was allegedly armed with a long spear, approached the man from behind and stabbed him once on the left side of the neck.
He allegedly took the victim's small black crossbody bag, which contained a Samsung cellphone and R20, before the injured man managed to escape towards three witnesses who were walking along the same road.
The man reportedly collapsed in front of the witnesses, bleeding heavily from the mouth and nose. He was unable to speak and died from the stab wound before he could be taken to hospital.
The matter was reported to the police, and the body was taken to Gwanda Provincial Hospital mortuary.
Ncube remains in custody as the rape and murder proceedings continue.
Source - The Chronicle
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