MARTIN MAWAYA
GOKWE- A 61-year-old man from Gokwe has been sentenced to 60 years in prison with hard labor for raping a 9-year-old girl in February and March.
Benjamin Sibanda, who lives under the jurisdiction of Chief Njelele in Gokwe, was convicted and sentenced after a full trial at the Gokwe Magistrate’s Court.
The verdict marks one of the heaviest recent sentences in the province related to child sexual abuse.
According to the state case, Sibanda, a resident of the same village as the victim, repeatedly raped the child on three separate occasions between late February and early March of this year.
The offenses were committed while the victim’s parents were away tending to their fields.
The court heard that the first assault occurred on February 24, 2026, when Sibanda lured the minor to his homestead, raped her, and threatened her with violence if she disclosed the ordeal.
He later repeated the abuse twice more before he was caught in the act by the girl’s mother, who had returned unexpectedly from the fields.
Following the incident, the matter was reported to the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) in Gokwe, leading to Sibanda’s swift arrest and subsequent prosecution.
