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A Zimbabwean man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after he was found guilty of raping his 56-year-old mother-in-law in her bedroom while her 94-year-old mother looked on helplessly.
Walter Maponga, 37, of Mandaza Village, was convicted of rape and assault by Harare regional magistrate Jessie Kufa. Prosecutor Blessed Songozo led the State’s case, which the court described as a clearly established prima facie case.
The incident occurred on September 17, 2025, in Makoni Village, Mhondoro. According to the prosecution, the complainant was in her bedroom with her elderly mother when Maponga broke in and attacked her.
The court heard that Maponga began beating the woman and demanding sex, accusing her of causing problems in his marriage. “Upon entering the room, Maponga started assaulting the complainant, demanding to have sex with her while accusing her of taking away his wife from him,” the prosecution proved.
He then forced the woman to the ground and continued the sexual assault until neighbours, Godfrey Makoni and Cleopas Nziramasanga, rushed in and rescued her. The pair managed to apprehend Maponga at the scene before handing him over to authorities.
In her ruling, Magistrate Kufa stated that “the State managed to prove a prima facie case against Maponga,” leading to his conviction on both charges.
The brutality of the crime has shocked residents of the rural Mhondoro community, where concerns have focused on the violation of family trust and the trauma inflicted, especially with the attack occurring in the presence of the victim’s elderly mother. Neighbours were credited with preventing further harm through their swift intervention.
