A 26-year-old man from Bulawayo, identified as Tongai Mpofu, was arrested and sentenced for @ss@ulting a commercial s3x worker after discovering her in bed with his uncle.
The incident unfolded when Mpofu hired the woman, Getrude Pepukai, along with two other girls, for a night, promising to pay each US$30.
The situation escalated the following morning when Mpofu allegedly found Pepukai having sexual relations with his uncle after she went to retrieve her phone from another room.
According to court testimony, witnessed by B Metro, the uncle requested her services because the girl he had previously been with was on her menstrual period.
Upon seeing them together, an enraged Mpofu confronted Pepukai, who reportedly responded defiantly, declaring her status as a prostitute and revealing her affair with his uncle.
In court, Mpofu admitted to slapping Pepukai in a moment of anger but denied the more serious charges of robbery, claiming he did not steal her Itel cellphone and US$50.
He argued that Pepukai was actually his girlfriend, despite the circumstances.
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During the trial, Bulawayo magistrate Polite Dube-Banda noted there was insufficient evidence to classify the incident as robbery, stating, “For an offence to be classified as robbery, there must be evidence of the use or threat of violence with the intention of taking someone’s property.”
As a result, Mpofu was found guilty of @ss@ult and sentenced to pay a fine of US$100, with a default sentence of six months imprisonment.
The magistrate acknowledged the broader societal context of the situation, suggesting, “It is quite unfortunate, but most men in our community would likely react similarly to the situation the complainant and the accused person found themselves in.”
Mpofu’s violent reaction to the betrayal ultimately led to his legal troubles, with the matter being reported to police after the @ss@ult passed.
The alleged stolen items, valued at roughly US$130, were never recovered.