A serious rapist and armed robber, who broke into more than 20 homes and business premises, pleaded guilty to 29 charges of rape, armed robbery and unlawful entry yesterday.
Issa Siyabu, who is also known as Issa Chakazama, or Innocent Kajira, appeared before Harare regional magistrate Loice Mukunyadze.
Siyabu targeted prominent businessmen and popular figures, including Ronald Ajara, celebrity dentist Dr Anesu Musvosvi, former mayor Ben Manyenyeni and Better Brands executive manager, Simbarashe Makomichi.
As the counts were being read, Siyabu told the court not to ‘bother’ itself by reading as he was pleading to guilty to everything – two rape charges, five armed robberies and 22 unlawful entries.
Magistrate Mukunyadze, however, insisted on the charges being read in full for the record.
The court heard that on December 23, 2022, Ajara went to bed with his family at his Borrowdale home.
While they were asleep, Siyabu forced entry into their home through the kitchen door and stole a Play Station 5, MacBook Air, Bose speaker, iPhone 14 Plus and a JBL speaker and went away unnoticed.
The offence was discovered the next day and a police report was made. Upon arrest, Siyabu made indications on how he broke into the house and stole the property worth US$5 000.
Nothing was recovered.
In another count, the court heard that on January 4, Siyabu broke into former mayor Manyenyeni’s home in Borrowdale through the lounge window and stole a laptop, six Kenyan passports and various documents and went away.
The value of the property stolen is US$2 000 and nothing was recovered.
Siyabu pleaded guilty to breaking into Anesu Musvosvi’s home in Mt Pleasant while he was away.
He stole six pairs of shoes, clothes, US$300, a laptop and an iPad.
Siyabu was arrested after fingerprints picked up from the scene matched his.
In another count, Siyabu broke into a 42-year-old woman’s home in Mt Pleasant while she was sleeping on January 7.
She was awakened by unusual noises from the kitchen at around 2am and Siyabu went into her bedroom brandishing a knife and threatened to kill her if she screamed.
She complied and he started demanding cash which she said she didn’t have.
Siyabu then forcefully shoved a cloth in her mouth and ordered her to lie down before he ransacked the whole house only to find US$5.
He then took her outside with the knife on her throat and instructed her to lead him to the main house.
He threatened to rape her and she revealed where she kept her money and he dragged her back into the house.
Siyabu took the money and went on to rape her before fleeing.
Siyabu raped another complainant at her home in Borrowdale after breaking into her home at night.
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