MARTIN MAWAYA
GWERU-A 26-year-old Lalapanzi man will spend the next three decades behind bars after a Gweru Regional Court found him guilty of raping two primary school pupils on their way home from school.
Regional magistrate Sibongile Marondedze on Thursday sentenced Itai Makore to 30 years in prison after convicting him on two counts of rape involving girls aged six and eight.
Prosecutor Eggrina Matutu told the court that on September 22, 2025, at around 2pm, Makore waylaid the two juveniles both Grade two pupils as they walked home through a footpath in Tokwe Village, Lalapanzi.
He chased away the boys accompanying them, forcing the two minors into a nearby bush.
The court heard that while in the bush, he threatened to kill them with a knife if they screamed.
Makore then raped a six year old girl before forcing the other eight year old to perform oral sex.
After the assaults, he ordered the crying girls to collect their schoolbags and go home.
Both victims immediately reported the ordeal to their parents leading to Makore’s arrest.
They were taken to hospital for medical examinations, which confirmed sexual assault.
Detailing the aggravating circumstances, prosecutor Matutu condemned Makore’s actions as “brutal and predatory,” saying the court had a duty to protect minors from such “heinous and traumatizing” crimes.
“These young victims will carry the emotional scars for life,” she said. “The courts must send a clear message that such barbaric conduct will not be tolerated.”
Matutu urged the court to impose a stiff penalty, describing the offences as “deliberate acts of cruelty perpetrated on defenseless children.”
Makore, who is unemployed, showed no remorse throughout the trial.
Magistrate Marondedze sentenced him to 15 years on each count, ordering the terms to run concurrently.
