Man jailed 20 years for raping job seeker

Ivan Zhakata
Herald Correspondent

A 26-year-old man from Bulawayo has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for raping a job seeker after promising her a job.
The man was arraigned before the Western Commonage Magistrates’ Court in Bulawayo on three counts of rape.
The court heard that sometime in March 2024, a 17-year-old girl sent a message looking for a job on a WhatsApp group.
On May 1, 2024 she received a message from the man purporting that his grandmother in Cowdray Park, Bulawayo needed a maid.
The complainant travelled from Plumtree to Bulawayo on May 5, 2024, and met the man, who was in the company of two friends.
The man took the complainant to a beer garden before taking her to his house in Mpopoma.
The court heard that the man promised to take the girl to Cowdray Park the following morning.
When the complainant went to sleep, the court heard, the man went into the room where she was sleeping and raped her twice during the night and once in the morning.
The matter came to light when the complainant made a Police report leading to the arrest of the accused person.