MILLICENT HUNGWE
MASVINGO – Regional Magistrate Bishard Chineka delivered a powerful sermon in court while sentencing 19-year-old Paidamoyo Jimu for assaulting a minor.
Jimu was found guilty on two counts of sodomy.
In the first incident, which occurred in 2020, he assaulted a young boy while they were herding cattle.
Jimu tripped the boy, removed his pants, and committed the heinous act, threatening the boy to keep quiet.
The second incident took place on March 7, while the two were swimming.
The complainant testified that Jimu pushed him into the water for four minutes and attempted to assault him again.
However, a witness named Bornface confirmed that they were swimming and chasing each other, but he did not see Jimu commit the alleged act.
Bornface said that when the boy started telling others at the river, he approached Jimu and told him to apologize for the first count case.
“Jimu bragged about being circumcised and good at it, warning me to apologize or pay him off with my month’s salary,” Bornface said.
Magistrate Chineka referenced the biblical story of Sodom and Gomorrah, emphasizing the severity of Jimu’s actions.
“His offense is equivalent to rape, he is sentenced to six years in prison, with the condition that he does not commit the same crime in the next five years,” Chineka stated.
The state considered Jimu’s age at the commission of the crime, as a mitigating factor.
Public Prosecutor Nixon Chamisa represented the state.
