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Midlands Bureau

A 30-YEAR-OLD Shurugwi man has been sentenced to 18 years in prison for raping two sisters who are 12 and 17 years old.

Lloyd Shabate Zireva of Keta Village under Chief Nhema in Shurugwi appeared before Gweru regional magistrate Ms Rumbidzai Mugwagwa facing two counts of rape.

He pleaded not guilty to both counts.

However, Zireva was found guilty after a full trial and was handed an 18-year prison stay.

He will be in prison for 15 years after Ms Mugwagwa suspended three years of his sentence on condition of good behaviour.

It was the State case that sometime in June last year, Zireva went to a garden where the 17-year-old girl was attending to her vegetables.

Zireva asked her to accompany him to Magumise Primary School.

While on the way, Zireva produced a knife and threatened to kill her if she made any noise before raping her once.

After the act, Zireva again threatened to kill her if she reported the matter to anyone.

On another day, Zireva, who claimed to have been in a relationship with the complainant, invited her to his homestead in Keta Village.

The two went to the maize field where he sexually abused her and thereafter continued to sexually abuse the complainant on several occasions.

The matter only came to light when Zireva’s wife saw the two walking together.

The court heard that when the complainant was quizzed by her uncle as to why she was seen walking with Zireva, she disclosed that he had been sexually abusing her for some time.

The matter was reported to the police and when they were investigating, the complainant’s 12-year-old sister confessed that Zireva had also raped her several times. Zireva was arrested.