BY SAMUEL NJINGA IN MASVINGO
Masvingo regional magistrate, Bishard Chineka, last week sentenced Tinashe Chirume, (40), a self-employed panel beater and part time tax driver of Mucheke high density suburb in Masvingo, 40 years in jail for serial counts of rape and robbery cases involving two female Great Zimbabwe University students aged 22, (names withheld).
The State case was that on the 7th day of October in 2023, the accused who was naked and holding a matchet, unlawfully entered into the two ladies` room in Target Kopje at around 0400 hours demanding cash and proceeding on to rape the two by interchangeably forcing each one of them to lie on her back before opening each one`s legs to rape. Chirume had no protection and had sexual intercourse with the two without consent.
Lucky ran out for Chirume on the 18th of October 2023 when he was identified by the two victims` friends at Pangolin. Investigations were made leading to his arrest. Chirume who pleaded not guilty claimed that he was a victim of mistaken identity since he never committed such a crime. The magistrate would have none of it considering the current volatility rate of rape cases in the country. Liberty Hove appeared for the State.