Chipinge woman robbed, gang-raped
By Luthando Mapepa
Two Chipinge men appeared in court on Monday for allegedly raping a 25-year-old woman, before robbing her of her macadamia nuts worth over $1 000.
Boniface Sigauke (25) of Mabunda Village and Tichaona Moyana (18) of Singizi Village, both under Chief Mutema, appeared before Chipinge magistrate Mr Poterai Gwezhira facing robbery and rape charges.
They pleaded guilty to robbery charges, but denied rape. The State, led by Ms Edith Phiri, is alleging that in March this year, Sigauke, Moyana and two others who are still at large, hatched a plan to rob Precious Singizi (25) of her macadamia nuts at Plot 1, Lot 10 Newcastle Farm, Chipinge.
“Sigauke and company were armed with knives and found Singizi processing her nuts,” said Ms Phiri. “They went on to demand the nuts, ordering her to surrender them if she did not want to be hurt.
“Fearing for her life, she surrendered 5x50kg of macadamia nuts that were in her yard and they went away. Since it was in the afternoon she managed to identify the people as residents of the village. The nuts that were stolen are valued at $500 and they were not recovered.”
Ms Phiri said on the same day, Sigauke and his co-accused went on to grab the accused and raped her several times.
“Sigauke and two other accomplices decided to take Precious Singizi hostage and dragged her into the bushes where they proceeded to rape her,” she said.
“After raping Precious Singizi they then took another 7x50kg of macadamia nuts, which were being kept at the complainant’s house. The value of nuts was $700.
During the robbery, it is alleged that Sigauke and company heavily assaulted the residents of Plot 1, Lot 10 Newcastle Farm using the (blunt end) of machetes.”
Ms Phiri said Sigauke and his accomplices were arrested on September 4 after one of them, Stanley Simango (23), was arrested after being found in possession of a knife, which he had used to commit crime.
“He also led the detectives to where they had stored the macadamia nuts,” she said. The Herald
