POLICE in Lupane are appealing to anyone with information that may lead to the arrest of a 41-year-old
Chamanga Manotho from Mwanazi Village who confessed to raping an 8-year-old girl before running
away.
The incident happened in Mwanazi village under Chief Mabikwa on December 22 last year.
“On the 22th of December 2022, an 8 -year-old juvenile was left in the suspect’s custody by her
grandmother when she went to look for mopani worms (amacimbi). On her way out the accused took
advantage of the grandmother’s absence. He called the juvenile to his bedroom where he raped her
once.
“After raping her, he threatened her that if she told anyone on what he had done to her, he would kill
her.”
The police heard of the matter later on January 8 this year after the suspect got drunk and confessed to
his friend what he had done. The friend then told the juvenile’s grandmother who reported the matter
to the police.
The kid was then interviewed on what had transpired. She revealed what the suspect had done to her.
Meanwhile in a related incident, police in Nyamandlovu are investigating a case in which a 13-year-old
boy is alleged to have raped two girls aged eight and 12 years.
According to the report, on 22 December 2022 two girls went to a borehole using a push-cart to fetch
some water. After filling their buckets, they decided to use tree leaves to cover their buckets of water.
As they were cutting some leaves in the bush for the purpose, the suspect suddenly appeared and
pushed down one of the victims onto the ground and raped her. He later raped the other juvenile. He
ordered the juveniles not to scream as he raped them.
After raping the girls, he warned them not to report the incident or else he would kill them.
The matters came to light on January 14 when the eight-year-old reported the rape to the mother of the
12-year-old juvenile. The suspect is currently on the run.
Cases of sexual abuse are continuing to rise which has become a cause for concern to both parents,
traditional leaders and the police in Hwange.