By Wenceslaus Murape
MARONDERA- Cases of female rapists that had stopped in the wake of the arrest of three suspects in Gweru last year have resurfaced amid reports that two men were sexually abused over the festive period.
The Gweru suspects, Rosemary Chakwizira and sisters Sophie and Netsai Nhokwara along with their male accomplice, Thulani Ngwenya are out on US$300 bail apiece. They face 17 counts of aggravated indecent assault.
Police reports indicate that two men were forced to have sex by two women in separate incidents in Marondera and Chiredzi in the last few days. The Marondera man was allegedly abused during the afternoon of December 23, while the Chiredzi incident occurred around 8pm on Christmas Day.
In the Marondera incident, the 27-year-old complainant from Ruwa in Harare was waiting for public transport at the Dombotombo turn-off along the Harare-Mutare Road when he was offered a lift by two women.
Mashonaland East provincial police spokesman Inspector Bulisani Bhebhe said the victim was on his way to Sanzara Farm.
“The man was picked up by a dark blue Toyota Ipsum with no registration numbers that had two women, one on the passenger seat and the other one on the wheel,” Insp Bhebhe said.
“The victim occupied the back seat and after driving for a while, the woman on the passenger seat produced a pistol and threatened him with death.” Upon reaching Sanzara Road at the 87 km peg along the Harare-Mutare Highway, the driver left the main road and drove for some metres before stopping.
The woman with the pistol produced a condom and ordered the victim to be intimate with the driver in the back seat of the car. After the sexual encounter, the women took the used condom and ordered the man out of the car before speeding towards Harare.
The abused men filed a report at Marondera Rural Police Station and police officers attended the scene. Insp Bhebhe said investigations were in progress and no arrests had been made.
He appealed to members of the public to use public transport. In the Chipinge incident, Manicaland provincial police spokesman Inspector Leonard Chabata said two women sexually assaulted a stranded commuter at knifepoint.
Insp Chabata said the man, who was on his way to Chipinge, boarded a vehicle that had two women at around 8pm. One of the women was behind the wheel, while the other was in the back seat, where the victim reportedly sat. When they reached the Ndali area in Chiredzi, the driver stopped the vehicle and produced a knife.
