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Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Gwanda Correspondent
A 19-YEAR-OLD man has been jailed 12 years for raping a 15-year-old juvenile while she was drunk.

Arnold Sibanda of Sontala Village in Kezi took advantage of the juvenile during a musical show and followed her to a bush where he raped her.

Sibanda pleaded not guilty to a charge of rape but was convicted due to overwhelming evidence by Gwanda regional magistrate, Mr Mark Dzira.

He was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment of which three years were suspended on condition that he does not commit a similar offence within the next five years.

Prosecuting, Mr Pernson Chekeya said Sibanda raped the juvenile on December 16 at around 5AM last year.

“On 16 December 2017, the juvenile was at Sontala Business Centre with her friends watching a band. She got drunk and left the shops alone and went to sleep in a nearby bush. Sibanda who had seen the juvenile leave then followed her and found her asleep as she was intoxicated,” said Mr Chekeya.

“He took advantage of the situation and raped the juvenile. A passerby, Mr Artwell Tshabangu, who was looking for his donkeys, caught Sibanda during the act. Upon realising that he had been caught, Sibanda fled from the scene and left the juvenile lying on the ground. Mr Tshabangu advised other villagers who ferried the juvenile to a nearby police station.”

In his defence, Sibanda said he was not at the business centre at the time he was accused of raping the juvenile. He said he left at around 3AM and went home.

He said Mr Tshabangu was fabricating the matter as there was bad blood between them.

“I didn’t commit the offence as I was already home at that time.

“Artwell Tshabangu is lying when he is saying he caught me raping the juvenile. This is his strategy to fix me because he is jealous that I got a contract to build a house which he also wanted to build. We are both builders,” said Sibanda.

—@DubeMatutu