HARARE – Anymore Zvitsva, the 35-year-old Guruve man accused of killing at least 15 people has been jailed for 89 years after admitting ten counts of rape, attempted murder and robbery.
Harare regional magistrate Francis Mapfumo handed down the sentence on Thursday, saying the court had considered both mitigating and aggravating factors before imposing the lengthy custodial term.
While judgement was being handed down, Zvitsva was grinning and fidgeting in the dock.
His trial on multiple murder charges is yet to commence at the High Court.
In sentencing Zvitsva, the magistrate noted that the 35-year-old offender had pleaded guilty to the charges, thereby saving the court’s time. The court also considered that he has two children, aged 11 and 12, who live with their mother.
However, Mapfumo said the offences were serious and carefully planned, adding: “The offender deliberately targeted vulnerable victims who had no-one to assist them.”
The court also heard that Zvitsva was not a first-time offender and previously served a 48-month prison sentence in Guruve.
Prosecutor Lancelot Mutsokoti told the court during trial that Zvitsva terrorised villagers through a series of violent attacks in Guruve and surrounding areas, targeting women, children and isolated residents while armed with knives, machetes and snare wire.
The attacks, which occurred between 2024 and 2025, involved rape, strangulation, stabbings and robbery.
Among the incidents placed before the court was the murder of Jane Dube in Rangwani Village under Chief Chipuriro in March 2024 after Zvitsva allegedly forced his way into her home demanding money before fatally attacking her in a maize field.
In another case, the court heard that he allegedly raped and strangled Modester Isaac in a gum tree plantation at Nyakapupu, Guruve, before hanging her body from a tree.
Mapfumo imposed varying jail terms on the 10 counts, ranging from seven to 20 years, with some sentences running concurrently.
After some of the sentences were ordered to run concurrently, the effective sentence came to 89 years imprisonment.
Zimbabwe’s First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa was present in court during the sentencing proceedings.
She wrote on X: “I attended proceedings at Rotten Row Magistrates’ Court in Harare to better understand how justice is being delivered within our formal legal system and to stand in solidarity with affected families.
“I witnessed the sentencing of Anymore Zvitsva to 89 years on multiple counts, a moment that brought a measure of relief to survivors who have endured immense pain.”
