Three women Diana Sibanda (35), Brendy Lebogang Msipa (35), and Tabeth Harris (33) have been charged in connection with the hijacking, s*xual assault, and robbery of a 20-year-old driver.
The trio appeared before Harare Magistrate Mrs. Tilda Mazhande, facing charges of aggravated indecent assault.
The women were advised to seek bail at the High Court and are scheduled to return to court on February 12.
The incident occurred on January 25 at approximately 5 a.m. when the complainant, a resident of Mazowe mine, was driving along Leopold Takawira Street in Harare.
According to Prosecutor Mr. Anesu Chirenje, the complainant was navigating a pothole at the intersection of Fife Avenue and Leopold Takawira Street when Sibanda took advantage of the situation, opening the passenger door and entering the vehicle.
Sibanda allegedly grabbed the gear lever, preventing the driver from fleeing and stole the complainant’s Samsung Note 20 Ultra from the car’s armrest. When a vehicle behind them honked, the complainant pulled over. Sibanda reportedly threatened the complainant with a screwdriver, ordering him to drive to a flat on Baines Avenue, which he complied with.
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Once inside the flat, the complainant repeatedly asked for his phone, but Sibanda knocked on the door, and Msipa opened it. The three women entered, with the complainant continuing to plead for his phone.
According to reports, Sibanda then began to seduce the complainant before forcibly undressing and s*xually assaulting him.
During this time, Msipa and Harris demanded money from the complainant. He handed over US$20, but the women searched his pockets and stole his iPhone 6. The group then escorted him back to his car, where they continued searching for valuables.
They took a power bank, a phone charger, and a modulator. Additionally, they demanded US$100 for the complainant’s release.
The complainant informed the women he had more money at his workplace, and they took him there by taxi, where he gave them $80. Afterward, the women took him back to the city center, where he spotted police officers patrolling the area. He called for help, and the police promptly intervened, arresting the three women.
Some of the stolen items were recovered, with a total value of US$103, and US$40 was returned to the complainant.