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Dumiso Ndlovu

Mashudu Netsianda, Senior Court Reporter
A 64 YEAR-OLD man from Victoria Falls who turned his 13-year-old granddaughter into a sex slave and impregnated her has been sentenced to 13 years in jail.

Dumiso Ndlovu of Chief Mvuthu’s area was convicted of rape by Hwange regional magistrate Dambudzo Malunga yesterday.

He will serve an effective 10 years after three years were suspended for five years on condition that he does not within that period commit a similar crime.

Ndlovu committed the crime between January and June last year.

He took advantage of his wife’s absence to rape his granddaughter, a Grade Seven pupil over a period of six months.

He threatened to assault her if she revealed the sexual attacks to anyone.

In her judgment, Malunga said the state proved its case beyond any reasonable doubt.

“There is no dispute that the victim was sexually abused resulting in her getting pregnant. Young as she is, the victim gave her testimony confidently and she was an honest witness who gave her evidence well such that even Ndlovu dismally failed to cross examine her,” said the magistrate.

In passing the sentence, Malunga said Ndlovu was a cruel man who deserved a lengthy prison term.

“You raped a very young girl. You’re a cruel grandfather who actually took advantage of your wife’s absence and raped your own granddaughter. Instead of protecting the victim, you turned into a beast and raped her,” said the magistrate.

“You introduced the victim to sex at a very tender age and were it not for your advanced age, a lengthy prison term would have been the most appropriate one,” ruled Malunga.

Prosecuting, Tawanda Sigauke, said between January and June 30, 2015, the victim was left in the custody of her grandfather by her granny while she visited her relatives.

The court heard that during her grandmother’s absence, Ndlovu would sneak into his granddaughter’s blankets while she was asleep and rape her.

The matter came to light in August last year when the victim visited her mother during the school holidays. Neighbours suspected that she was pregnant and quizzed her in the presence of her mother and she then revealed that she had been raped by her grandfather.