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Courtney Matende Midlands Reporter
A 56-year-old barber from Ascot, Gweru, has been sentenced to 20 years in jail for raping his female client, who is in Grade Seven.

Goodluck Mbewe appeared before Gweru regional magistrate Mrs Phathekile Msipa facing one count of rape.

Mbewe pleaded not guilty to the charge, but was convicted after a full trial.

He will serve an effective 15 years after Mrs Msipa conditionally suspended five years.

In passing judgment, Mrs Msipa said cases of rape, especially those involving minors, were on the increase, justifying the need for long jail terms as a deterrent measure.

“Mbewe pleaded not guilty saying he last saw the complainant in January and that his barber shop is too small to be used for such a crime,” she said. “The medical report showed that there was penetration and the court also considered that the complainant is 12-years-old, who is under the age of consent.”

“The complainant indicated that Mbewe was the one who raped her on March 16 and there is no way she could not identify him as she already knew him as her barber. It is clear that Mbewe had pre-planned the crime and he is the one who sexually abused the complainant and he is found guilty as charged.”

It was the State case that on March 16 this year, the complainant was coming from her friend’s house when Mbewe called her.

The court heard how Mbewe dragged her into his barber shop before raping her once without protection.

The complainant told her mother about the rape two weeks later following a crime awareness campaign at her school by the Victim Friendly Unit.

The complainant, accompanied by her mother, reported the case to the police, leading to Mbewe’s arrest.

Mr Talent Tadenyika appeared for the State.

Mbewe has two pending cases of raping minors at his shop.

He also escaped punishment on another rape charge after the complainant told the court that she agreed to have sexual intercourse with him and was given a $1.