Sex worker's kindness met with brutal assault in B...

Sex worker's kindness met with brutal assault in Beitbridge

Philemon Jambaya

Zim Now Editor

A gesture of compassion turned into a harrowing ordeal for a sex worker in Beitbridge, as a man she sheltered from the rain repaid her kindness with robbery and rape.

Moses Mukonowenzou has been sentenced to an effective 15 years in prison for rape and an additional eight years and six months for robbery, following a brutal attack that shocked the community.

The incident unfolded on a rainy night in January in the Two Rooms Section of Dulivhadzimu suburb. Mukonowenzou, posing as a potential client, knocked on the complainant's door. Seeking refuge from the downpour, she welcomed him into her room, a decision she would soon deeply regret.

Once inside, Mukonowenzou's facade crumbled. He immediately strangled the woman, holding a knife to her throat to silence her. He then proceeded to rob her of R200 and a mobile phone valued at R800 before raping her once. He then fled into the night, leaving his victim traumatized and shaken.

The complainant, after regaining her composure, immediately informed a friend, and together they reported the heinous crime to the police. Mukonowenzou, known as a regular patron at a local bar, was swiftly identified and arrested.

He pleaded not guilty before regional magistrate Charity Maphosa, sitting at Beitbridge, but was ultimately convicted. Magistrate Maphosa expressed her dismay at Mukonowenzou's callous actions and attitude. "You did this because you believed that you thought that commercial sex workers did not have any rights," she stated, condemning his disregard for the victim's dignity and safety.

The prosecution, led by Willbrought Muleya, presented compelling evidence that led to Mukonowenzou's conviction.