AN axe-wielding man from Dete in Matabeleland North Province who robbed and raped a pregnant woman has been slapped with 20 years in jail for the two crimes. Calvin Ngwenya, 28, from Songwa Village under Chief Nelukoba had pleaded not guilty to robbery and rape when he appeared before Hwange magistrate Mark Dzira on Thursday.
While sentencing Ngwenya, the magistrate said his moral blameworthiness was high as he put the woman’s unborn child at risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases.
“You committed a very serious offence and you put the woman’s unborn baby at risk of diseases. If you wanted sexual satisfaction why didn’t you go to your wife? For the count of robbery you are sentenced to two years in jail and for the second count you are sentenced to 18 years,” said Dzira to Ngwenya.
Ngwenya is married and has three children.
He will however serve an effective 17 years after the magistrate suspended three years on condition of good behaviour within five years.
Ngwenya, a self-employed mechanic, invited a lashing from the magistrate when in mitigation he bragged that he was earning $250 per day, to which Dzira said: “that means you make $1,000 in four days but as poor as you look, that cannot be true.”
Prosecuting, Tawanda Sigauke said Ngwenya committed the crimes in November 2012.
The trial had been dragging at the courts.
“On November 5, 2012, the complainant was alone at her parents’ homestead doing some domestic chores in the afternoon when Ngwenya approached her and asked for water to drink.
After being given some water, the accused left but returned after a few minutes later and went straight to a bedroom hut where the unsuspecting complainant was,” said Sigauke.
He said Ngwenya grabbed the woman by the throat and pinned her to the floor on her back before picking an axe which was in the same room.
Ngwenya threatened to axe the woman if she screamed.
He demanded that she show her where her mother kept money and demanded to have sex with the woman when she told him that there was no money, the prosecutor said.
“The accused told the complainant to choose between having sexual intercourse with him or giving him all household property. He stole an inverter, an amplifier, clothes, blankets, and a cellphone handset with a combined value of 1,500 rand. He put the loot in a plastic bag,” said Sigauke.
While sentencing Ngwenya, the magistrate said his moral blameworthiness was high as he put the woman’s unborn child at risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases.
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| Man jailed 20 yrs for robbing and rapping pregnant woman |
Ngwenya is married and has three children.
He will however serve an effective 17 years after the magistrate suspended three years on condition of good behaviour within five years.
Ngwenya, a self-employed mechanic, invited a lashing from the magistrate when in mitigation he bragged that he was earning $250 per day, to which Dzira said: “that means you make $1,000 in four days but as poor as you look, that cannot be true.”
Prosecuting, Tawanda Sigauke said Ngwenya committed the crimes in November 2012.
The trial had been dragging at the courts.
“On November 5, 2012, the complainant was alone at her parents’ homestead doing some domestic chores in the afternoon when Ngwenya approached her and asked for water to drink.
After being given some water, the accused left but returned after a few minutes later and went straight to a bedroom hut where the unsuspecting complainant was,” said Sigauke.
He said Ngwenya grabbed the woman by the throat and pinned her to the floor on her back before picking an axe which was in the same room.
Ngwenya threatened to axe the woman if she screamed.
He demanded that she show her where her mother kept money and demanded to have sex with the woman when she told him that there was no money, the prosecutor said.
“The accused told the complainant to choose between having sexual intercourse with him or giving him all household property. He stole an inverter, an amplifier, clothes, blankets, and a cellphone handset with a combined value of 1,500 rand. He put the loot in a plastic bag,” said Sigauke.
