BY NIZBERT MOYO A 56-YEAR-OLD janitor at Coghlan Primary School in Bulawayo has been arrested for allegedly raping a pupil on opening day. Bulawayo provincial police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube confirmed the case. He identified the suspect as Silas Sibanda (56). “I can confirm that he was arrested on Monday and is facing rape charges. He will appear in court soon after police have completed their investigations,’’ Ncube said. Sources said Sibanda first met the complainant (name withheld for ethical reasons) in the city on Monday and tried to lure her by calling her niece, but she ran away. “Sibanda went to school and found the girl and started chasing her until he caught up with her near the toilets and raped her,’’ said the source. Two weeks ago, Women’s Affairs minister Sithembiso Nyoni told Parliament that government was in the process of formulating laws that will provide for 30-year mandatory jail sentences for rape offences in response to a sharp increase in sexual violations. “Two Bills (Sexual Harassment Bill and the Gender Equality Bill) are expected to criminalise the offence of sexual harassment and provide frameworks for gender equality,” she said in a statement. She indicated that statistics provided by police showed that there were 1 222 cases of rape in the third quarter of 2020 and 1 274 in the last quarter countrywide. Follow Nizbert on Twitter @N.M
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