Zimpapers Logo

Tafadzwa Ignatious Kadongo

Thandeka Moyo Court Reporter
A BULAWAYO man who raped his friend’s wife over a $1 debt has been jailed for 15 years.

Tafadzwa Ignatious Kadongo, 29, of Trenance suburb, allegedly raped the woman in the absence of her husband who works in the city centre.

He pleaded not guilty to rape charges.

Regional magistrate Mark Dzira said rape cases continued to overwhelm the courts.

He said the trend explains why women were advocating for castration of rapists.

“In countries like Kenya rape sentences go up to 50 years imprisonment. Your sentence must be a lesson to you. You’re therefore sentenced to 15 years imprisonment of which four years are suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour,” said magistrate Dzira.

Prosecuting , Tinashe Dzipe told the court that on July 19 this year at around midnight, the woman was alone at her house when Kadongo approached her demanding his outstanding $1 for the fish that he had sold to the woman’s husband.

“She told him that her husband was at work but Kadongo went on to force open the door which was supported by a stone to stop it from opening. He got into the house.

Kadongo got into the woman’s blankets and removed his trousers and raped her once. She screamed for help but Kadongo threatened to kill her,” Dzipe told the court.

The court heard that after raping the woman, Kadongo took the stone used to hold the door and threw it outside leaving his cap inside the room.

Dzipe said the woman told her husband soon after his arrival and the couple reported the matter to the police, leading to Kadongo’s arrest.

The woman’s husband told the court that they owed Kadongo $1 as they had bought fish from him on credit.

Kadongo, an ex-soldier, said in his defence that he went to the woman’s home in the morning of the same day and forgot his cap which was now being used as an exhibit in court.

“Your worship, my cap fell when I was at the woman’s home and I forgot it but I didn’t rape her.

“I’m the one who made a report to the neighbourhood police after hearing rumours that I was being accused of rape. This woman never reported the incident to the police.

Her husband pleaded with me not to report the matter but solve it out of court but I decided to rope in the police officers as I sought justice,” said Kadongo.

However, prosecutors said Kadongo was lying to the court.