Court Correspondent

A MAN and a woman from Harare appeared in court yesterday accused of orchestrating a months-long crime spree in which they allegedly lured job-seeking women with promises of employment, only to rob and rape them.

Aleck Kanyonzo (42) and Tendai Tabazha (42) have been charged with multiple counts of rape and robbery after eight women, aged between 19 and 42, came forward with harrowing accounts of deception and violence.

According to prosecutors, Tabazha would approach women in public places, offering them jobs as housemaids or shop assistants.

Once the victims expressed interest, she collected their contact details and arranged meetings.

Kanyonzo would then pick them up under the guise of taking them to work.

Instead, he allegedly drove them to isolated areas near Lake Chivero farms, where he would draw a knife, threaten them, and sexually assault them before stealing their belongings--including phones, clothes, and cash.

The crimes reportedly spanned from January 2024 to March 2025, with each victim targeted on a different day. The stolen items were allegedly handed to Tabazha, who sold them and split the profits with Kanyonzo and a third accomplice still at large.

The scheme unravelled on March 20, when Tabazha approached a 23-year-old woman's relative, offering a shopkeeper job.

Though the relative declined, she shared the victim's contact details.

The next day, the victim met Tabazha at Machipisa Shopping Centre, where Kanyonzo took over, escorting her onto a commuter omnibus.

Instead of a workplace, he led her to a secluded area, where he allegedly raped her three times at knifepoint and stole her phone and bag.

After the assault, the traumatised victim stumbled upon passersby, who helped track down Kanyonzo. He was caught with her stolen phone and clothes.

When the pair appeared before Harare Magistrate Marehwanazvo Gofa, they were advised to seek bail at the High Court due to the severity of the charges. They will return to court on April 8 as investigations continue.