290 years in jail for man found guilty of rape

Sixty years of the sentence were set aside on condition of good behaviour leaving the rapist with 230 years behind bars. Photo/FILE 

Harare

A man has been jailed for 290 years after a Zimbabwe court found him guilty of raping thirteen women.

Thomas Chirembwe, 30, was on Tuesday convicted of 21 counts of rape and robbery in the capital Harare.

Magistrate Simon Rogers Kachambwa described Chirembwe as “worse than a wildebeest”.

Sixty years of the sentence were set aside on condition of good behaviour leaving the rapist with 230 years behind bars.

Chirembwe faced 30 counts of rape and unlawful entry but nine cases were not heard after witnesses failed to turn up in court.

EARNED A LIVING

The court was told that he used weapons such as knives, an iron bar and spanner to threaten his victims before sexually assaulting them.

“In his criminal acts, he also raped the women and stole cash and other valuables,” the magistrate noted. “There is no doubt that he had turned crime into a profession, earning him a living.

He was also found guilty of stealing property worth thousands of dollars and cash worth $1,500.

Chirembwe is said to have committed the crimes between September 18, 2011 and November 6, 2012.

According to police statistics, at least 400 children were raped and 392 adults were sexually abused in 2013.