Zimbo jailed 10 years for rape in Botswana

A BOTSWANA magistrate has jailed a Zimbabwean political refugee for 10 years for raping another from Burundi at Dukwe Refugee Camp in January 2012.

Jacob Gumiro was a teacher at Skillshare International School while his victim is a cleaner there.

Principal Magistrate Dumisani Basupi said that he took into account that Gumiro was a first offender and is diabetic.

Basupi further said that the Zimbabwean was a married man and has children that he was taking care of.

“Offences of rape as stipulated in the penal code are serious. As it appeared in the evidence placed before court, the accused used force when he committed the offence.

“It is the duty of the courts to protect women from any form of violence including rape. I found no exceptional extenuating circumstances that may have led the accused to commit the offence,” said Basupi.

He added that Gumiro’s case is a clear one of a senior abusing his junior.

“Evidence before court showed that the accused continued to intimidate the complainant after the matter was reported to the police.

“It did not ring any alarm to the accused when the complainant told him that she did not like what he was doing to her. The court is therefore enjoined to pass a sentence that will act as a deterrent to would-be offenders in future,” said Basupi.

Basupi said that the victim stated that Gumiro had intimated love overtures towards her, which she declined.

“She said that at times the accused would approach her and tell her to come and ‘kiss him and do it’, but she refused since she knew his wife.

“She also said that at one point she contemplated quitting her job because the accused was vigorously pursuing her,” said Basupi, adding that she then started recording the conversations she had with Gumiro on her cellphone.

Source: Mmegi