Emily Mbewe Court reporter
A RAPIST, who was identified by an axe he left at the crime scene, was yesterday sentenced to 18 years imprisonment. Mduduzi Ncube, 28, of Nyamandlovu, will however serve an effective 15 years after three years were conditionally suspended.
He initially pleaded not guilty but later changed his plea to guilty when he appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Chrispen Mberewere.
In passing sentence, Mberewere told Ncube that he wasted the court’s time by pleading not guilty and later changing his plea.
“You wasted the court’s time and pleaded not guilty when you knew very well that you committed the crime. During cross examination you also told the court that you had been possessed by evil spirits which led you to the girl’s room and lied that you didn’t rape her,” said Mberewere.
He said people like Ncube should be locked away from the society to protect those that are vulnerable. “You’re therefore sentenced to 18 years imprisonment. Three years of the sentence are suspended for five years on condition you don’t commit an offence of a similar nature,” said Mberewere.
Prosecuting, Tinashe Dzipe said Ncube sneaked into his 17-year old victim’s room while she was asleep on March 14 at around 1AM. Dzipe told the court that Ncube went on to remove a light bulb before joining the victim in bed and started raping her.
The victim, the court heard, woke up thinking she was in a dream and enquired if it was a goblin or human being that was sexually abusing her. “But Ncube didn’t answer,” the prosecutor said.
The victim screamed for help, forcing Ncube to flee into the darkness leaving his axe behind.
At around 6AM the following day, the victim’s uncle and a Constable Ndlovu, the arresting officer went around the village looking for the owner of the axe, the court heard.
The axe was positively identified by Ncube’s cousin, who implicated him.