BREAKING NEWS: First Lady Attends Sentencing of Guruve Serial Offender Anymore Zvitsva who is Jailed 89 Years

Harare - Guruve serial offender Anymore Zvitsva (35) has been sentenced to an effective 89 years imprisonment by the Harare Regional Magistrates’ Court after pleading guilty to 10 counts of rape, attempted murder and robbery.

Zvitsva, who had become a fugitive and terrorised communities in Guruve between October and December 2025, admitted to four counts of rape, five counts of attempted murder and one count of robbery.

He appeared before regional magistrate Francis Mapfumo, while  Lancelot Mutsokoti prosecuted on behalf of the State.

The high-profile case, which became one of the most talked-about criminal trials in Zimbabwe this year, attracted widespread public attention and drew the attendance of Zimbabwe’s First Lady, during sentencing proceedings at the Harare Magistrates’ Court.

Zvitsva was convicted over what the prosecutor described as a calculated campaign of terror targeting vulnerable villagers, including women, children and elderly residents.

Among the complainants were a 14-year-old juvenile and a 62-year-old woman, both subjected to horrific attacks.

Court proceedings revealed that the offender used weapons, shoelaces and snare wire to restrain victims before dragging them into bushes, mountainous terrain and isolated areas where the offences were committed.

In some incidents, he stabbed victims in the neck, chest and abdomen using knives and spears, while in others he strangled complainants with snare wire until they lost consciousness.

The court further heard that Zvitsva broke into homes at night, at times wearing a balaclava, before attacking sleeping families.

In one robbery incident, he assaulted a man with a machete before stealing cigarettes, a cigarette lighter and a soft drink.

His reign of terror came to an end on January 3, 2026, following his arrest after months on the run.

Police investigations later led to indications at several crime scenes, including the recovery of a red t-shirt belonging to one of the victims allegedly hidden under a log near an anthill.

Prosecutors described the offences as exceptionally brutal and marked by extreme cruelty, arguing that the crimes inflicted lasting trauma on both the victims and the wider Guruve community.

Meanwhile, Zvitsva is still awaiting indictment before the High Court on separate murder charges allegedly linked to incidents committed in the Guruve area during the same period.

In the State’s pre-sentencing address, prosecutor  Mutsokoti told the court that the accused at times admitted he would pick up wire intending to use it for ordinary purposes, but would later use it in the commission of attempted murder offences.

As part of submissions ahead of sentencing, the State referred the court to several authorities involving similar offences and argued that Zvitsva was not a suitable candidate for “global sentencing”, meaning the offences should not be treated concurrently as is commonly done in ordinary cases.

The Prosecutor urged the court to impose a sentence guided by the law and the gravity of the offences rather than by public outrage surrounding the matter.

In support of the State’s position, the prosecution cited the case of S v Sparks 1972 (3) SA 396 (A), which states in part:

“Punishment should fit the criminal as well as the crime, be fair to the State and to the accused and be blended with a measure of mercy. The sentence must not have the effect of breaking the offender.”

The court heard disturbing details surrounding several offences allegedly committed by Zvitsva during his months-long reign of terror in Guruve and Raffingora.

In one incident which occurred on October 9, 2025, the complainant, Providence Maruza (27), was asleep in her room at Ditwi Village, Chiwe Farm in Raffingora when Zvitsva allegedly forced open an unlocked door and entered the house.

Armed with an Okapi knife and snare wire, he allegedly threatened to kill her if she screamed before tying both her hands and legs with wire.

The court heard that he dragged her to a thicket in the Dangemuri Mountains where he raped her before stabbing her in the back and neck and leaving her for dead.

In another incident on October 27, Zvitsva allegedly attacked Reginet Sango (62) of Mudhindo Village under Chief Bepura in Guruve while she was fetching water from a borehole.

The accused, who was armed with a machete, allegedly demanded sexual intercourse from the elderly woman.

When she attempted to flee into nearby bushes, he allegedly pursued and caught her before striking her on the head and left arm with the machete.

He then allegedly raped her without protection before strangling her with wire and leaving her unconscious at the scene.

The court also heard that Zvitsva later attacked Brian Ngoshi, who was walking home from Kachuta Business Centre.

Armed with a machete, the accused allegedly struck Ngoshi twice on the head before strangling him with wire until he lost consciousness.

He allegedly searched the complainant and stole a cigarette lighter and a packet of Madison cigarettes before fleeing, leaving him unconscious until he was later rescued by a passer-by.