In the community

Woman tortured, raped at gunpoint by married Lupane man

Published

12 months ago

August 13, 2024

BY WANDILE TSHUMA

A young woman was on Saturday night subjected to a horrific ordeal when she was threatened with a gunshot, assaulted, and raped by a married man in Lupane.

The accused, a 50-year-old man, had been served supper by the victim, a 24-year-old woman, at his house in King Lobhengula Township.

According to the police memo, he then ordered her to accompany him to his workplace, in company of another friend.

Once at the workplace, the accused person invited the victim to his vehicle which was left parked outside. While inside, he pushed her to the ground, before removing her clothing and sexually assaulting her, despite her protests.

“The accused person started to undress the complainant removing her pant,” the report read.

“The complainant reprimanded the accused person’s behavior but he threatened to shot the matter with a gun which he claimed was kept at his work place.

“The accused person went on to remove complainant’s pant and pushed her down facing upwards before removing his pair of trousers and raping her.”

After the ordeal, he, again threatened to assault her further if she reported the incident.

The next day, the victim attempted to report the abuse to the accused person’s wife (21), but was met with violence.

“The accused person became violent and hit the complainant once on the thigh with an iron bar, but was reprimanded by a certain man who was passing by, allowing the victim to escape.”

The victim later reported the incident to the police and received medical attention.

The accused person was arrested, and investigations are ongoing.

In the community

Domestic violence takes a deadly turn: Hwange woman’s violent outburst lands her in jail

Published

3 days ago

July 24, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY STAFF REPORTER

A 19-year-old woman from Makwika Village has been sentenced by the Hwange Magistrate’s Court for domestic violence and assault after a violent incident occurred on June 2, 2025.

The court heard that the woman assaulted her husband after he confronted her over messages on her phone. She slapped him, grabbed his private parts, dragged him into the kitchen, and poured boiling water on his lower body, causing serious injuries.

A concerned neighbor who attempted to intervene was also burnt with boiling water on her chest and hospitalized.

The woman was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment for domestic violence and 24 months imprisonment for assault. However, 12 months of the assault sentence were suspended for 5 years on condition of good behavior, and the remaining 24 months were suspended on condition of performing 630 hours of community service.

The National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ) has condemned the violent act, emphasizing that violence, whether in the home or community, is unacceptable.

“The law applies equally to all, and offenders will be held accountable,” said the NPAZ. “We encourage citizens to resolve disputes peacefully and report abuse immediately.”

In the community

Teenager sentenced to 18 months for knife attack on minor

Published

3 days ago

July 24, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY WANDILE TSHUMA

The Bulawayo Regional Court recently sentenced a 19-year-old male from Nkayi’s Maphosa Village to 18 months imprisonment for attempted murder after a violent knife attack on a 15-year-old boy at Gwamayaya Business Centre.

Allegations are that on April 18, at approximately 23:00 hours, the offender entered a shop at the business centre, causing a commotion. When customers attempted to calm him down, he became aggressive and charged at the victim, stabbing him in the left side of the stomach with a knife.

The victim was rushed to the hospital for medical attention, while the offender was arrested and charged with attempted murder.

In court, the offender was convicted and sentenced to 18 months imprisonment. However, six months of the sentence were suspended on condition of good behaviour, while the remaining 12 months were suspended on condition that he performs 410 hours of community service.

The National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ) has condemned the violent act, urging young people to resolve conflicts peacefully and encouraging communities to play a role in early intervention.

“Violence is never the answer. Every life matters – walk away, don’t escalate,” said the NPAZ in a statement.

In the community

Hwange police seek public’s help in locating missing teen

Published

2 months ago

May 15, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY STAFF REPORTER

The Hwange police are urgently seeking the public’s assistance in locating 16-year-old Latoya Lisa Munkuli, who went missing on May 7, this month.

Latoya, a dark-complexioned female juvenile, was last seen leaving her residence in Hwange around 4 pm.

She was wearing a distinctive outfit consisting of green trousers and a white T-shirt, and carried a black satchel. She stands approximately 1.6 meters tall.

Inspector Glory Banda of the Hwange police is leading the investigation and urges anyone with information about Latoya’s whereabouts to come forward.

If you have any information about Latoya’s disappearance, please contact Inspector Banda on 0785961747 or 0771256607.