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Brenda Zinyuke, Court Reporter

A MAN from Bulawayo has been sentenced to 36 months in prison for beating up a woman until she fainted and soiled herself after she refused to have sex with him.

A court heard how Josphat Mbizi of Nguboyenja suburb accosted the complainant that he had met only once before at her home and demanded to be intimate with her.

He slapped and punched the woman (33), whose identity has been withheld to protect her identity.

The complainant suffered nasal and left ear bleeding as a result of the assault.

Mbizi had pleaded guilty to assault when he appeared before Bulawayo magistrate, Mr Lizwe Jamela. The magistrate sentenced him to 36 months in prison and suspended nine months on condition that the accused person does not commit a similar offence within that period.

“What you did to the complainant is unbelievable; you attacked a woman for refusing to sleep with you. You attacked her in her own place of residence, surely you compromised her security.

“The savage attack on the complainant causing her to soil herself shows your viciousness. She bled through the ear and the nose. This is no ordinary case, it borders around attempted murder. Your behaviour is barbaric,” Mr Jamela said.

The magistrate said he hoped Mbizi will learn that it is wrong to undermine the “integrity of women.”

The court heard that Mbizi and the complainant knew each other from the time when he assisted her to transport her property from Nguboyenja to her lodgings in Thorngrove suburb. Mbizi had proposed love to the woman and was awaiting response.

Prosecuting, Mr George Rufumoyo said on July 18 at around 9PM Mbizi went to the complainant’s place of residence following up on his proposal. The accused person requested to have sexual intercourse with the complainant but she refused and asked him why he was in a rush. “She said ‘kanti ujaheni?’ (why are you rushing?),” he said.

Mbizi who felt insulted slapped the woman on the face several times and punched her on the left ear causing her to bleed.

“The complainant fainted and regained consciousness around 1AM after the accused person poured cold water on her,” said the prosecutor.

Mbizi continued to assault the complainant up until she soiled herself. 

He grabbed her by the neck and suffocated her.

She begged Mbizi to let her go to the toilet and clean herself up.

On her way to the toilet, the complainant managed to jump over the durawall and hid behind her neighbour’s hedge when she spotted Mbizi roaming around looking for her. 

The complainant went to her sister’s house in Mzilikazi where she put up for the night.

On the following morning, she reported the matter to the police and a follow up was made leading to Mbizi’s arrest. — @zinyuke98