HARARE — A 40-year-old man from Mberengwa has been sentenced to 40 years in prison for repeatedly raping a 10-year-old orphaned girl in an alleged attempt to “cure” himself of HIV, police said.
The crime, which occurred in Magaba Village, Dolo area of Mberengwa West near the Matabeleland South border, has shocked the local community amid claims that the victim and her two sisters, aged 4 and 14, were subjected to persistent sexual abuse by multiple family members.
According to police, the man—whose name has been withheld to protect the victim’s identity—was arrested on 10 October after the case was reported. He appeared before Zvishavane regional magistrate Tawenga Sangster on 15 October and was convicted on two counts of rape. Prosecutor Melisa Makombe told the court that the convict would serve the 40-year term concurrently.
The case came to light after a maid noticed the 10-year-old had refused to eat and questioned her, leading to the disclosure of the abuse. The child was taken to hospital, where medical examinations confirmed she had contracted a sexually transmitted infection. She later tested negative for HIV.
Family sources told B-Metro that the accused claimed to have acted on instructions from a traditional healer who told him that raping a child would cure his infection — a long-debunked and dangerous myth associated with the spread of HIV/AIDS.
Midlands Assistant Police Spokesperson Inspector Xolani Dube confirmed the arrest, adding that investigations into the alleged abuse of the victim’s siblings would proceed once formal complaints were filed.
The girl has since been discharged from Gweru Provincial Hospital in stable condition. However, concerns remain after she was reportedly sent back to the same homestead where further abuse is alleged to have occurred.
Local child protection advocates have called for stronger safeguards and harsher penalties for sexual offences involving minors.
“This case highlights serious gaps in child protection systems,” said Kholakele Mhlanga, Advocacy Programmes Officer for the Umzingwane AIDS Network Council. “People who commit such acts should face the full force of the law. We cannot have individuals harming children under the false belief that it will cure diseases.”
Sunga Mzeche, Director of Hope for a Child in Christ (HOCIC), urged authorities to place the victims in a safe environment. “These children must be removed from unsafe conditions. Their well-being should be the priority,” he said.
Chief Bankwe, the regent chief of the Dolo area, declined to comment on the case, saying such matters fall under police jurisdiction.
Child rights organisations have since called for a review of community-based reporting mechanisms and greater intervention to protect vulnerable children in rural areas.
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