Shurugwi – A 67-year-old man from Shurugwi has been sentenced after admitting to having sexual intercourse with his neighbour’s calf, claiming he was “sex starved” and driven by “evil spirits.”
Twoboy Shamhu made the bizarre confession before Magistrate Sithabile Zungula, stating that his girlfriend was not providing sufficient intimacy and his wife had passed away, leaving him without an outlet for his desires. He further claimed he lacked the financial resources to engage the services of a sex worker.
Shamhu appeared before Magistrate Zungula facing bestiality charges, a crime that has been on the rise in Zimbabwe in recent months.
Magistrate Zungula sentenced him to six months in jail, suspending two months of the sentence on condition of good behaviour. The remaining four months were commuted to community service.
The incident occurred last Friday when Shamhu entered the Marihoho homestead at night, opened the pen, tied the calf to a log, and proceeded to commit the act.
Craig Mudzingwa, returning from the local shopping centre around 11 PM, heard unusual noises emanating from the pen. Upon investigation, he discovered Shamhu in the act of bestiality. A police report was subsequently filed, leading to Shamhu’s arrest.
Tafadzwa Guzete prosecuted the case.
This disturbing incident is not isolated, as Zimbabwe has seen a worrying increase in cases of bestiality, particularly involving defenceless animals like goats and donkeys.
In a similar case from October last year, a 23-year-old man from Esigodini was apprehended for raping a goat, just over a year after another man from the same area was arrested for raping a goat to death.
In the first Esigodini incident, Mthandazo Ndlovu raped Brighton Nkomo’s goat to death before being caught red-handed with Luckson Mkandla’s goat. Both Nkomo and Mkandla are from Ntabende village in Esigodini.
In the more recent Esigodini case, Nkosikhona Moyo, a married herdsman with two children, caused outrage after raping Munyaradzi Marufu’s goat from Njuka Farm.
Similar to the previous case, Moyo was apprehended after goat owners followed a trail of footmarks from the goat pens to his home.
Evidence presented in court revealed that on October 6, 2024, Moyo entered Marufu’s pen at Njuka Farm during the night, grabbed a female goat, and engaged in sexual activity with it.
The following morning, Marufu discovered the goat unconscious and, upon examination, found what appeared to be human semen on its rear.
Marufu and his co-workers then tracked the footsteps from the goat pen to Moyo’s residence.
The matter was reported to the police, resulting in Moyo’s arrest and appearance before Esigodini magistrate Jeconia Prince Ncube.
He was charged with bestiality as defined in Section 74 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act Chapter 9:23.
Moyo pleaded guilty and was fined US$150 or two months imprisonment in default of payment.
Magistrate Ncube described Moyo’s conduct as “barbaric and morally reprehensible.”
In determining the sentence, the magistrate considered Moyo’s status as a first offender, his marital status, and his responsibility to support his children. He also noted that Moyo was the primary breadwinner for his family and that a custodial sentence would negatively impact his dependants.
The magistrate also acknowledged Moyo’s guilty plea, which saved the court time.
“He pleaded guilty to the offence and did not waste the court’s time. The goat did not die or suffer injury as a result of the offence. In aggravation, no compensation was paid to the owner of the goat. Further, the conduct of the offender was barbaric,” ruled the magistrate.
“Be that as it may, imprisonment will be too harsh as the conduct of the offender did not cause the death of the goat. As such, a fine will serve the justice of the case.”
In another case, in September last year, Edward Chitivha, a 28-year-old man from Tolrose Compound in Kadoma, faced bestiality charges after allegedly having sex with a goat belonging to Isheunesu Shangudze, a 40-year-old villager of Plot 9, Blagdon Farm, Eiffel Flats.
The incident, which occurred on August 12th, left villagers in shock and anger.
According to court documents, Shangudze had secured his five goats for the night at around 4 PM. During the night, Chitivha allegedly entered the goat pen, removed his clothes, and placed them on the ground. He then tied the legs of a white female goat to a pole and proceeded to violate the animal.
Shangudze, awakened by the distressed cries of the goat, went to investigate and spotted Chitivha, who fled the scene, leaving his clothes behind.
Shangudze reported the incident to the police, leading to Chitivha’s arrest. He appeared before the Kadoma Magistrates’ Court and was remanded in custody until September 17th.
Bestiality is a serious crime under Zimbabwean law, carrying a potential fine of up to level fourteen or imprisonment for a period not exceeding one year, or both.
The Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act [Chapter 9:23] specifically addresses bestiality in Section 74, defining it as any sexual act between a human and an animal. The Act states: “Any person who knowingly commits any sexual act with an animal or bird shall be guilty of bestiality and liable to a fine up to or exceeding level fourteen or imprisonment for a period not exceeding one year or both.”
