Harare – Two harrowing incidents of violence against women and girls have rocked Zimbabwe. In a chilling case, two men allegedly subjected an 18-year-old woman to a horrific gang rape on a grave at Harare’s Granville Cemetery, also known as Kumbudzi, while her boyfriend was forced to watch. Meanwhile, in Masvingo, a 13-year-old girl, reportedly a fourth wife, tragically died during childbirth, highlighting the devastating consequences of child marriage.
Cemetery Horror: Woman Raped on Grave
The gruesome attack at Granville Cemetery occurred last Saturday around 8pm. The victim and her boyfriend were walking together when they were accosted by two men. According to reports, the men demanded to see their identification documents before turning violent.
The assailants allegedly forced the boyfriend to sit down and struck him on the forehead with an unidentified object. One of the men then dragged the terrified young woman onto a nearby grave, where they proceeded to take turns raping her without any protection.
After the depraved act, the rapists reportedly struck the woman on the head with an object, causing her to lose consciousness. She later regained consciousness and, along with her boyfriend, reported the ordeal to the police at ZRP Southlea Park.
Harare provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Luckmore Chakanza, confirmed the incident, stating that two separate rape cases had occurred at the same cemetery on the same day. “Police are investigating two rape cases where two men took turns raping two women at different times at the same cemetery,” said Insp Chakanza.
Insp Chakanza added, “The rape victims were taken to Edith Opperman Clinic for medical examination.”
In a second, similar incident, a 26-year-old woman was also reportedly raped by the same two men at the cemetery. “In the second case, a 26-year-old woman was raped by the same two men until she fainted,” Insp Chakanza stated.
According to police reports, “The complainant had left her home, leaving behind her seven-month-old baby, and was walking to Boka at 11pm. The accused persons forcibly laid the complainant on top of a grave, forcibly removed her clothes, and took turns raping her without protection.”
Inspector Chakanza issued a stern warning to criminals, stating, “As the police, we continue to urge people to avoid walking in secluded areas at night. We want to warn perpetrators of crime that the long arm of the law will surely catch up with them.”
Tragedy in Masvingo: Child Bride Dies in Labour
In a separate incident that underscores the vulnerability of young girls in Zimbabwe, a 13-year-old girl from Masvingo Rural, identified as Esther Mugwebi, died while giving birth. Esther, reportedly a member of the Johane Marange Apostolic sect and the fourth wife of 33-year-old Learnmore Mahova, was buried without the authorities being notified. Mahova is reported to have 30 children.
Esther’s father, Jeremiah Mugwebi (46), and Learnmore Mahova appeared before Masvingo Magistrate, Caroline Tafira Nyoni, charged with violating the Birth and Death Registration Act.
The court heard that Esther went into labour on June 5, 2025, around 9am and was unable to deliver the baby. Tragically, both Esther and her unborn child died. It was further revealed that a razorblade was used to dissect Esther’s womb in a desperate attempt to save the baby.
Mugwebi and Mahova proceeded to bury Esther on June 8, 2025, without obtaining a burial order or notifying the police. Esther was also known to suffer from epilepsy.
Magistrate Nyoni sentenced both men to 12 months in prison, suspending four months for five years. The remaining eight months were commuted to 280 hours of community service.
In her ruling, Magistrate Nyoni noted that both men were unemployed with large families dependent on them. “Giving you a custodial sentence will be unfair since you have many dependents. You have no substantial sources of income and you are both farmers. There was negligence on your part on not reporting the incident,” said Nyoni.
Mugwebi and Mahova claimed they were unaware that a case of sudden death was required to be reported to the police.
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