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The man from Pumula East suburb, was living alone with the 15-year-old juvenile and would tell her that if she wanted him to buy her food and other household needs, she should be intimate with him.

He ended up siring a child with the niece following a series of sexual encounters.

The man pleaded not guilty to two counts of rape when he appeared before Bulawayo regional magistrate Mr Alex Shumba on Friday last week.

The two counts were treated as one for sentence and the man was sentenced to an effective 20 years.

Between November 2011 and last month, the man would storm into the bathroom while his niece was bathing or into the bedroom while she would be dressing up and rape her.

On one of the occasions, the man threatened the girl with an okapi knife before raping her.

The matter only came to light on 17 January when the girl decided to make a report at Pumula Police Station, leading to her uncle’s arrest.

In another case heard before the same court, a 14-year-old boy was sentenced to receive six strokes and a wholly suspended four-year jail term for raping his cousin.

A senior prison officer at Khami Prison will cane the boy.

Mr Tinashe Dzipe appeared for the State.