FAITH NDOU
MASVINGO – A 51-year-old man who posed as a cross-border truck driver to lure two Mvuma women with promises of lucrative business opportunities has been sentenced to 57 years in prison after being convicted of raping and robbing them.
Lawrence Homerai was convicted on two counts of rape and two of robbery when he appeared before Masvingo Regional Magistrate Archie Wochiunga on June 9.
The court heard that Homerai preyed on the two women by falsely claiming to be a truck driver who regularly transported discounted goods from South Africa and could assist them in expanding their vending businesses.
Prosecutor Precious Takuva told the court that the first complainant, a 47-year-old beverages vendor from Mvuma, was persuaded to travel to Masvingo after Homerai promised to facilitate a business trip to South Africa.
Upon arriving in Masvingo, Homerai allegedly instructed the complainant to accompany him on foot through Mucheke suburb, claiming he wanted to collect money before their departure.
Instead, he led her to a secluded area where he produced an Okapi knife and threatened to stab her if she resisted his moves.
He robbed her of a cellphone, US$300 cash and two dresses before forcing her to have sexual intercourse without her consent.
In a similar incident, Homerai targeted a 42-year-old vendor from Mvuma using the same deception.
He lured her to another secluded area where he stole her cellphone, satchel and US$10 before sexually assaulting her.
Police investigations later linked Homerai to the crimes after establishing that he had used a cellphone registered in another person’s name to communicate with the victims.
He was arrested at Hokonya Shopping Centre in Chivhu on April 16, 2026.
Both complainants positively identified him during an identification parade conducted by CID Masvingo.
During the trial, Homerai denied the allegations and claimed he was involved in romantic relationships with both women.
He alleged that the complainants, who knew each other through their vending activities in Mvuma, had conspired to fabricate the charges against him.
The court, however, rejected his defence and found him guilty on all four counts.
For the first rape count, Homerai was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment.
On the first robbery count, he received 10 years imprisonment, with seven years suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour and a further six months suspended on condition that he restitutes the complainant US$300.
For the second rape count, he was sentenced to another 20 years imprisonment, while on the second robbery count he received seven years imprisonment, with six months suspended on condition that he restitutes the complainant US$250.
