A 25-year‑old man from Harare has been jailed for 15 years after a court found him guilty of raping a 13‑year‑old pupil at the Rezende Street bus terminus.
Givemore Mutape denied the charges, but Harare regional magistrate Fadzai Mthombeni convicted him after a full trial.
Mutape told the court he wasn’t a rank tout and said he fixes car radios, claiming he had been repairing a commuter omnibus radio on the day in question.
He also told the court he could not have had sex because he had no testicles and asked for a medical exam to prove it — a defence the court rejected.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the attack happened on 19 July 2025 at about 1 pm.
The 13‑year‑old was in the city centre to collect money for extra lessons from her stepfather and went to the Rezende Parkade bus rank to catch a ride home.
When touts blocked her from boarding her intended vehicle, Mutape offered to help and led her into a different commuter omnibus parked nearby.
He got in after her, locked the doors, sat beside her at the back, grabbed her, tore off her undergarment, gagged her and raped her.
Afterwards, Mutape asked for the girl’s contact number. Afraid, she gave him her uncle’s number instead.
The rape only came to light on 21 July 2025 when the uncle reported her late return to school; teachers spoke to her, and she disclosed what had happened.
During police interviews, the victim said Mutape had messaged her on WhatsApp. She was able to identify him from his profile and status photos, and that information helped investigators track down and arrest Mutape.
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