Martin Muleya

CHIPINGE TIMES REPORTER

MUTARE – Plucking out sanitary pads from their pants and showing them to a rapist saved two Mutare women from a sexual attack by a notorious robber operating along Mutare-Harare Highway.

Elphas Runesu (27) of no fixed abode was recently slapped with five years in jail after he was convicted by local Magistrate Perseverance Makala on two counts of robbing women of their valuables along Harare–Mutare Highway.

Runesu pleaded guilty on both counts.

On January 2, 2023 at 3:30 pm Runesu met and demanded money and smartphones from Melody Gwizo who was carrying her nine-month-old baby on her back in the company of her niece Tinotenda Gwizo. He waylaid them at Mt. Shalom bus stop. He force marched the women into a bush area where he demanded sex after taking a KGTEL cellphone from one of them.

The women told the accused that they were on their menstrual periods and the accused demanded evidence and was shown sanitary pads. He then ordered them to run away. 

In the other case Prosecutor Thurstone Mubvumbi said on January 2, 2023, at 7 pm Virginia Kembo (35) who resides at Rutsenza Farm, Mt Mainje, Odzi met the accused at the shops.

The accused asked Kembo how far it was to get to Mutare and the complainant who was carrying her eight-month-old baby did not reply. The accused grabbed the complainant by the neck and muffled her mouth.

A bus driver passing by saw the two wrestling each other and he sounded a strong hooter although he did not stop. The accused overpowered the complainant and disappeared into a nearby bush with Kembo’s ITEL A56 cellphone.

Kembo later screamed for help and Stewart Tendai Saidi managed to spot Runesu and he apprehended him and he showed him where he had hidden the cellphone in a nearby bush.