A suspected Guruve serial killer, Anymore Zvitsva accused of unleashing a reign of terror in Guruve has been convicted on 10 counts of rape, attempted murder and robbery after pleading guilty before the courts.
Zvitsva, who shocked Zimbabwe early this year following his arrest over allegations of serial killings and rape attacks, was on Tuesday convicted by Harare regional magistrate Francis Mapfumo after admitting to four counts of rape, five counts of attempted murder and one count of robbery.
Zvitsva, who is also facing 14 murder charges set to be tried separately at the High Court, was remanded in custody for a pre-sentence inquiry.
Magistrate Mapfumo ruled after the guilty plea: "You have been found guilty on all ten counts."
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The court heard that Zvitsva carried out a series of brutal attacks in Guruve, targeting women, children and vulnerable villagers while armed with knives, machetes and snare wire.
In one of the rape cases, prosecutors said Zvitsva, armed with an okapi knife and snare wire, dragged a 27-year-old woman from her hut before raping her about 50 metres from the homestead.
On another count, the court heard that he strangled a man identified as Renious Chatora with snare wire and left him unconscious.
In a separate robbery case, Zvitsva allegedly struck Brain Ngoshi on the head with a machete during the night before stealing cigarettes and a soft drink, leaving the victim seriously injured.
The State also proved that Zvitsva raped a 35-year-old woman before attempting to kill her 10-year-old son by stabbing him in the stomach, chest, ribs and neck with a knife.
Another victim, Fortune Mwazha, 21, was allegedly strangled with snare wire and left for dead before groceries, including sugar, rice and orange juice, were stolen from her.
The court further heard that Zvitsva raped a 62-year-old woman after encountering her at a community borehole.
"The woman declined to have sexual intercourse with Zvitsva but he chased her, and struck her once on the head and she fell down, that is when he raped her," the State said.
On another count, he raped a woman while armed with a machete.
The court also heard that Zvitsva tied a 10-year-old girl with shoelaces before raping her inside a kitchen hut in Chief Chipuriro's area.
Zvitsva became one of Zimbabwe's most feared criminal suspects after his arrest sparked allegations linking him to a wave of murders that claimed more than a dozen lives in Guruve between October and December last year.
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He is still awaiting indictment to the High Court on 14 murder charges allegedly committed during the same period.
