Two Gokwe Men Jailed 15 Years Each for Raping, Threatening to Kill Minors
By Delicious Mathuthu — Two men from Gokwe have each been sentenced to 15 years in prison for raping minors in separate cases. A 42-year-old stepfather raped his Grade Five stepdaughter while a 28-year-old man raped his 11-year-old niece.
Delicious Mathuthu 
Gokwe — Two men from Gokwe have each been sentenced to 15 years in prison for raping minors entrusted to their care, including a grade five pupil and an 11-year-old girl, the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ) has reported.
In separate cases heard by courts in Gokwe, a 42-year-old stepfather was convicted of raping his stepdaughter, while a 28-year-old man was jailed for raping his 11-year-old niece.
In the first offence which occurred on September 13, 2026, the schoolgirl visited her mother at the offender’s homestead in Gokwe South.
The court was told that at around 11am, the girl’s mother instructed her to go and play with other children at her uncle’s house as she prepared to attend church.
At around 1pm, the court heard, the stepfather followed her and summoned her back home.
After returning, the girl went to bath but the man followed her into the bathroom, found her naked and began touching her inappropriately.
He subsequently ordered her to lie on a sack, removed his clothes and raped her before threatening to kill her if she disclosed the abuse.
NPAZ said the incident came to light when the girl’s mother returned home at around 5pm and found her crying.
The child disclosed what had happened, prompting her mother to report the matter to the police.
In the second case, the Gokwe Regional Magistrates’ Court convicted and sentenced a 28-year-old man, under Chief Chireya, for raping his 11-year-old niece.
The offence occurred on September 20, 2026, when the girl had been left in the man’s custody.
At around 2pm, the accused entered the kitchen where the child was sleeping, pinned her down and raped her before threatening to kill her if she revealed the incident.
The abuse was exposed after a friend noticed that the girl was struggling to walk.
The victim showed her sores on her private parts, prompting the friend to alert her mother, who reported the matter to the police.
The man was subsequently arrested and convicted.
The NPAZ condemned the offences.
“Such offences constitute a gross violation of human dignity, bodily integrity and the fundamental right to live free from abuse and fear,” the authority said on the stepfather’s case.
In its statement on the second conviction, the NPAZ said perpetrators would be prosecuted in accordance with the law, reaffirming its commitment to protecting communities, supporting victims and ensuring offenders were held accountable.
