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Tendai Rupapa Senior Court Reporter
A 30-year-old Harare pirate taxi driver has been sentenced to 18 years behind bars for raping a 41-year-old woman he had offered a lift from the city centre to Mbare during the night. Tawanda Gwatidzo was convicted after a full trial by magistrate Ms Lucy Mungwari for the offence he committed in October last year.

The court heard that the woman boarded Gwatidzo’s vehicle, which had two other passengers at Simon Muzenda bus terminus.
The two passengers dropped off along the way, leaving the victim with Gwatidzo.

On approaching the Robert Mugabe Square, Gwatidzo turned into the square, parked the vehicle and locked the doors, before jumping onto the back seat where the woman was and raped her.

She screamed for help and street children who were nearby started banging the windows.
Gwatidzo is said to have jumped back into the driver’s seat and drove off with the woman screaming.

The woman, the court heard, managed to unlock the door and jumped from the moving vehicle.
She was later assisted by a passer-by.
She lost a mobile phone and a handbag containing valuables.