A 21-year-old man has been sentenced to 40 years in prison after being convicted of r@ping an 81-year-old woman twice during a home invasion in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.
Gift Ncube was found guilty on two counts of r@pe by the Bulawayo Regional Magistrates’ Court. The court ordered that the two 20-year sentences run consecutively, resulting in an effective 40-year prison term.
According to a statement from the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ), the attack took place in the early hours of February 15, 2026, in the Hope Fountain area.
Prosecutors told the court that Ncube forced entry into the elderly woman’s home at around 3am by breaking a window. Once inside, he allegedly overpowered her, threatened to kill her and assaulted her before r@ping her in the sitting room. The court heard that he then dragged the victim to her bedroom, where he assaulted her again.
In a development that led to his swift arrest, Ncube reportedly fell asleep in the victim’s bed after the attack. The woman managed to escape from the house and alerted neighbours, who responded immediately.
Community members entered the home and found the suspect naked and asleep, before carrying out a citizen’s arrest. Police later confirmed signs of forced entry at the scene.
In its statement, the NPAZ condemned the attack, describing it as a grave violation of a vulnerable member of society and urging communities to remain vigilant in protecting elderly residents.
With the sentences set to run back-to-back, Ncube will serve four decades in custody before becoming eligible for release.
