By Samson Zituta
A 28-year-old man from Kadoma has been sentenced to an effective 25 years in prison after being convicted of armed robbery and the brutal rape of a woman during a violent home invasion in Masendeke Compound, Battlefields.
Tendai Gazi was convicted by the Kadoma Magistrates’ Court for crimes committed on August 18, 2025, when he and two accomplices, who remain at large, forced their way into a couple’s home while armed with a machete.
The court heard that Gazi assaulted the male occupant before stealing US$100. He then abducted the female victim and dragged her to a nearby bush, where he raped her twice.
The victim later managed to escape and reported the matter to the police. Gazi was subsequently apprehended by members of the public at Chivaura Mine. Clothing recovered from him was produced in court and admitted as key evidence during the trial.
In passing sentence, the magistrate imposed five years’ imprisonment for the robbery conviction and 20 years for rape, ordering the sentences to run consecutively, resulting in an effective 25-year jail term.
The National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ) condemned the offence, describing gender-based violence as a serious crime that would not be tolerated.
“Gender-based violence is a grave crime that will be met with the full force of the law. The NPAZ remains committed to prosecuting perpetrators relentlessly and upholding the rights of survivors to justice and dignity,” the authority said in a statement.
Police investigations are continuing as authorities intensify efforts to locate and arrest Gazi’s two accomplices, who are still on the run.
