Harare magistrate Mr Temba Kuwanda yesterday sentenced three men, one of them who is HIV positive, to a combined 58 years in jail for gang raping a 14-year-old girl in Norton three years ago.

Knowledge Mpame (31), Lloyd Sibanda (25) and Foxen Mukozho (32) had been on the run since 2014.

They absconded court when they were on trial, but later handed themselves to the police resulting in their matter continuing before regional magistrate Mr Kuwanda.

The trio took turns to rape the teenage girl whom they kidnapped after she approached them looking for her boyfriend.

Mpame was slapped with a 20-year prison term while Sibanda and Mukozho were each sentenced to 19 years behind bars, bringing the sentence to 58 years.

On Mpame’s jail term, Mr Kuwanda set aside five years and effected 15 years. He also suspended six years on Sibanda and Mukozho’s prison terms leaving them with 13 years each to serve.

In aggravation, prosecutor Ms Rufaro Mhandu urged the court to impose a lengthy custodial sentence.

She said the trio’s moral blameworthiness was high.

“What aggravates this matter is that they first kidnapped the victim and later raped her. They deprived her of her freedom of movement so that they could rape her. She could not even relieve herself during the night since the door was locked.

“Your Worship, a lengthy prison term will meet the justice of this offence and would also deter would-be offenders,” she said.

Mr Kuwanda concurred with the State, adding that Mpame exposed the victim to the risk of contracting HIV.

On September 25, 2013, the victim was accompanied by Admire Mhiripiri to the Norton-based boating club to look for her boyfriend.

Upon arrival at the lake side, the girl and Mhiripiri saw Mpame and Sibanda working in the fields with two other men.

They took the two visitors to a house in the compound after they asked for water.

Mpame was asked by the girl if he knew where her boyfriend stayed.

He lied to her that he knew where he stayed before telling the girl to wait by the verandah.

Mpame later returned from the fields and ordered Mhiripiri to leave on the pretext that his employer did not like visitors.

Mhiripiri complied and he left his contact details with Mpame in case anything happened to the girl.

The girl was told to sit inside the house by Mpame while he went to look for her boyfriend in the fields.

Mpame returned after some minutes and raped her. He left the room and locked the door.

Sibanda also walked into the house and raped her as well before locking the minor inside.

He then called Mukozho who also raped her. by Tendai Rupapa