Neighbour (46) rapes 2 sisters, aged 8, offers them buns as bribe

Gift Nyathi also threatened to ‘assault’ his victims with a catapult if they revealed the abuse

By Caleb Chikwawawa

A 46-year-old Lupane man raped two 8-year-old sisters one after the other after holding his minor neighbours hostage at his home and later tried to offer them some buns to buy their silence over the abuse.

For the crime, Gift Nyathi was handed a 20-year jail sentence after he was convicted by a Hwange magistrate.

According to a statement by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Nyathi committed the abuse on his neighbours in their village in Lupane.

“Gift Nyathi (46) was arraigned before the Hwange Magistrates Court facing two counts of rape,” the NPA said.

“The State told the court that on the 29th of November 2023 at around 1600 hours, the two eight-year-old complainants were sent by their guardian to go and collect a phone at one of their neighbour’s home in Ndlovu Village, Lupane.

“On their way, they were called by the accused person who is also their neighbour but they refused to comply. The accused person waylaid the unsuspecting girls on their way back.

“He grabbed each girl by the wrist and dragged them to his homestead where he locked them up in his bedroom.

“He then lifted the first complainant and put her on the bed before raping her. When he had finished raping the first complainant, he proceeded to rape the second complainant.

“He then opened the door and tried to give the two girls some buns but they refused.

“He also threatened to assault them with his catapult if they told anyone. The matter came to light when the two complainants reported the matter to their sister during the school holiday. Their sister reported the matter to their guardian.

“The accused person was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment.”