A 23-year-old man from Filabusi in Matabeleland South has been sentenced to an effective 20 years in prison for rape and armed robbery, in a case that has again highlighted Zimbabwe’s ongoing sexual violence crisis. The Gwanda Regional Court sentenced the man to five years for armed robbery and 15 years for rape. The court […]
A 23-year-old man from Filabusi in Matabeleland South has been sentenced to an effective 20 years in prison for rape and armed robbery, in a case that has again highlighted Zimbabwe’s ongoing sexual violence crisis.
The Gwanda Regional Court sentenced the man to five years for armed robbery and 15 years for rape.
The court heard that on 14 March 2026, the offender and an accomplice who remains at large armed themselves with a pistol and an axe and broke into a homestead at Sukasihambe Co-operative in Filabusi.
They threatened a sleeping couple and stole property including a 24-inch Samsung television, a 30-watt solar panel, three 12-volt batteries, two shaving machines, two mobile phones and US$43 in cash. The total value of the property was US$263.
Before fleeing, the pair dragged the couple outside at gunpoint and raped the 22-year-old wife. The court heard that the convicted man raped her twice.
A police report was filed, leading to his arrest. During a search of his residence, police recovered the stolen Samsung television, a 12-volt battery and the 30-watt solar panel, with a combined value of US$90. The victim was referred to Filabusi District Hospital for medical examination.
According to Judicial Service Commission statistics, Zimbabwean courts handled 3,940 rape-related cases in 2025, almost unchanged from 3,946 cases recorded in 2024, processing nearly 10 cases every day.
Nearly half of all cases were recorded in the Northern division, which includes Harare and Chitungwiza, the country’s two largest urban centres.
The NPAZ says at least 30 rape cases are reported countrywide daily, most of them involving children.
Data from the Authority shows it handled 8,851 cases through its Sexual Offences and Gender-Based Violence Unit in 2025, while overall close to 12,000 convictions were secured from at least 17,000 cases in the same year.
ZimStat figures indicate about 7,000 sexual violence cases were reported in just the first and second quarters of 2025, with 3,562 cases recorded in the first quarter alone.
The Zimbabwe Gender Commission reports that at least 22 women are raped daily, with an average of one rape every 75 minutes, translating to an average of 646 women violated each month. It also reports that one in three girls is raped or sexually assaulted before they reach the age of 18.5 years.
The 2023-2024 Zimbabwe Demographic and Health Survey found that at least one in every 11 Zimbabwean women aged between 15 and 49 has experienced sexual violence in her lifetime.
The NPAZ and police have urged the public to report sexual offences to Victim Friendly Units and One Stop Centres, stressing that most perpetrators are known to victims and that early reporting improves access to medical care and justice.
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