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Fortunate Gora Mash West Correspondent
A ZVIMBA man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for raping his 23- year-old mentally ill niece twice. Christopher Mutandagavi (63) of Mutandagavi Village under Chief Zvimba will serve 17 years behind bars after Chinhoyi Regional Magistrate Mr Amos Mbobo suspended three years in consideration of his age, health and good behaviour.

Prosecutor Mr Trustmore Mukarati proved to the court that during the period extending from January to June this year, Mutandagavi invited the complainant to his bedroom and raped her, and threatened to strike her with an axe if she reported.

The court further heard that during the same period, but on a different day, Mutandagavi entered the dining room where the complainant was sleeping with her 11-year-old uncle and sneaked into the complainant’s blankets and raped her.

The matter came to light when the complainant fell sick and was taken to Zvimba Clinic, where she tested HIV positive. She was then referred to Zvimba Police Station for interrogation, where she confirmed that she consented to sex with her two boyfriends – Mutandagavi and his son Mugove Mutandagavi – who is also waiting to be tried for raping her.