News / Regional
Man rapes teacher, jailed 20 years
08 Feb 2013 at 06:14hrs | Views
A JOTSHOLO man was on Tuesday sentenced to 20 years in prison for breaking into staff quarters at a school in the area before raping a teacher and robbing her of $42 at knife point.
Dickson Luphahla (26) pleaded not guilty to armed robbery, rape and unlawful entry, but was convicted by Hwange regional magistrate Dambudzo Malunga.
Prosecutor, Khumbulani Ndlovu said Luphahla should be given a sterner sentence since he raped a professional, humiliating her among her colleagues. The victim was transfered from the school after the rape.
Charges against the accused are that on November 9 last year, Luphahla, who stays near the school, armed himself with a knobkerrie and knife. He went to the staff cottages around midnight.
He broke the complainant's bedroom window pane and ordered her to open the door, but she refused. Luphahla broke the door and grabbed the complainant at knife point, demanding cash.
Fearing for her life, she advised him that the money was at the administration block and he force-marched her to where the cash was kept.
On the way, he raped the complainant once in the school football pitch.
When they arrived at the administration block, he was given $42, which was in the school's safe. Luphahla also took away the victim's mobile phone before vanishing into the darkness.
The complainant made a police report at Jotsholo Police Base, but a manhunt for Luphahla yielded nothing in the area. He was only arrested on Thursday last week in Mvundlana area, Tsholotsho, more than 200km from the crime scene.
Dickson Luphahla (26) pleaded not guilty to armed robbery, rape and unlawful entry, but was convicted by Hwange regional magistrate Dambudzo Malunga.
Prosecutor, Khumbulani Ndlovu said Luphahla should be given a sterner sentence since he raped a professional, humiliating her among her colleagues. The victim was transfered from the school after the rape.
Charges against the accused are that on November 9 last year, Luphahla, who stays near the school, armed himself with a knobkerrie and knife. He went to the staff cottages around midnight.
He broke the complainant's bedroom window pane and ordered her to open the door, but she refused. Luphahla broke the door and grabbed the complainant at knife point, demanding cash.
Fearing for her life, she advised him that the money was at the administration block and he force-marched her to where the cash was kept.
On the way, he raped the complainant once in the school football pitch.
When they arrived at the administration block, he was given $42, which was in the school's safe. Luphahla also took away the victim's mobile phone before vanishing into the darkness.
The complainant made a police report at Jotsholo Police Base, but a manhunt for Luphahla yielded nothing in the area. He was only arrested on Thursday last week in Mvundlana area, Tsholotsho, more than 200km from the crime scene.
Source - newsday
