By Paul Katanda

A 38-year-old Harare man has been caged 20 years for raping his 17-year old daughter between between 2020 and 2021.

The father was convicted by Harare magistrate Ignitio Mhene after a full trial during which he denied the allegations.

However, the state proved that he committed the offence for a period close to a year.

The abuse started in September 2020.

Prosecutors proved that he would sneak his daughter’s bedroom and he would start touching her all over the body before ordering her not to reveal the abuse to anyone.

He would abuse her at least twice each day by forcing her to perform oral sex on him.

Sometime in December 2020 Mapwanya sent a text message to the juvenile  telling her to come to the sitting room indicating he wanted to sleep with her.

The girl complied and he raped her using protection.

The court heard this persisted until August 2021 when the daughter finally told her mother about the abuse.

Her mother then escorted her to the police and filed a report leading to her husband’s arrest.

Shepherd Makonde represented the state.