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Judgment No. HB 66/2003
Case No. HC 4869/2003
CRB INY 797/02
THE STATE
Versus
MPUMELELO NDLOVU
IN THE HIGH COURT OF ZIMBABWE
NDOU J
BULAWAYO 12 JUNE 2003
Criminal Review
NDOU J: The accused person was aged 25 years at the time of the trial.
He was charged and subsequently convicted of two counts of indecent assault at
Inyathi Magistrates’ Court. He was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment on each
count. Of the total 24 months, 6 months was suspended on condition of good
behaviour. I queried whether these acts were not covered by the Sexual Offences Act
[Chapter 9:12] (hereinafter referred to as the “Act”). I also queried the
appropriateness of the sentence. The learned trial magistrate responded –
“1. The complainants in this matter are male juveniles and the accused ejaculated in between the legs and there was no penetration. My reading of the Sexual Offences Act makes me form the view that (the) Act protects young girls but leaves the young boys.” (the emphasis is mine)
Although the learned trial magistrate confidently alleges that he read the Act,
he seems not to have done so. The Act categorically provides that it is applicable to
the protection of young persons of both sexes. The interpretation clause in section 2
defines “a young person”. It is stated that a young person “means a boy or girl under
the age of sixteen years.”
The salient facts of this case are that victim of these two fiendish crimes is a
boy aged five years. On 14 November 2002 at about 1100 hours the accused person
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passed the complainant’s homestead and called him to his own place of abode. The
accused person took the boy into his hut. Whilst seated on a sofa he removed the
boy’s pair of pants and inserted his male organ between the boy’s legs and made
sexual movements until he satieted his lust and emitted semen around the boy’s
things. He repeated this ordeal on 19 November 2002. No medical evidence was
adduced during the accused person’s summary trial. From these facts the accused
person should have been charged with contravening section 3(1)(b) of the Act which
states –
“3. Subject to subsection (2), any person who commits an immoral or indecent act with or upon a young person; shall be guilty of an offence and liable, subject to section sixteen, to a fine not exceeding fifty thousand dollars or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding ten years or both such fine and such imprisonment.”
The Act, however, does not state explicitly that section 3(1)(b) has substituted
the common law crime of indecent assault. The problem I discern in such cases is
with respect to accused persons who are aged sixteen years. Such a juvenile accused
person, if charged under common law, cannot raise a defence created by section
3(2)(a) of the Act. Section 3(2)(a) provides –
“It shall be a defence to a charge under subsection (1) for the accused person to satisfy the court that he was under the age of sixteen years at the time of the alleged offence …”
If, however, he is charged under the statutory office in section 3(1)(b) he is
entitled to this defence. In my view, the legislature could not have intended such an
anomaly. In interpretation of statutes, reason and logic are ascribed to the legislature.
Interpretation of legislation necessitates logical reasoning as far as the application of
its provisions to concrete situations. Any interpretation of legislation which leads to
an absurdity must, as a matter of course, be avoided: interpretatio quae parit
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absurdam, non est admitta- See Spinnaker Investments (Pty) Ltd v Tongaat Group
Ltd 1982(1) SA 65(A) 76, R v Moodley 1971(1) SA 320 (N); Rogut v Rogut 1982(3)
928 (A) and Oos-Randse Administrasieraad v Rikhoto 1983(3) SA 395(A). This
anomaly would, however, not arise if the Attorney-General decides, as a matter
course, not to prosecute anyone, under the age of sixteen with indecent assault i.e. all
accused persons under sixteen being charged under section 3(2) of the Act. This
absurdity does not arise in casu because the accused is aged over sixteen years. In the
circumstances the common law crimes of indecent assault are proper and I,
accordingly, confirm the convictions.
On the question of sentence I accept that it is pre-eminently a matter for the
discretion of the trial court. I should be careful not to erode such discretion. I should
only interfere when the sentence is viewed as being disturbingly inappropriate – see
Ramushu and Ors v S SC-25-93; S v Matanhire HH-18-02; Mavhundwa v S HH-91-
02 and Musindo and Ors v S HH-25-02. I regard the sentence imposed in casu, as
being very lenient. But is it disturbingly inappropriate? I think so.
Sexual abuse of children is viewed in a very serious light. This type of
conduct is very common thus exposing children to untold trauma and incurable
diseases. Contrary to the view held by the learned trial magistrate, the Sexual
Offences Act protects children equally, be they girls or boys. The definition of young
person in section 2 clearly states that this means a boy or girl under the age of sixteen.
Some of the old cases give the impression that abusers of boys should be treated more
lenient than abusers of girls. It is clear that in those days the abuse of boys was not as
prevalent as that of girls. In this day and age I do not find any legal basis for the
distinction. Sexual abuse of all children is prevalent and should be viewed in a very
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serious light. In casu, the child victim was aged 5 years. Within a short space of five
days the accused had abused him twice. He ejaculated semen around his thighs. The
age difference between the accused and the child victim is twenty years. He was not
asked why he committed the offences, maybe it was because this was partly obvious
from the facts. The accused persons moral blameworthiness is so high that an
effective sentence in the region of five to six years imprisonment was called.
In light of the above factors I confirm the convictions. I am however, unable
to certify the sentence imposed as being in accordance with true and substantial
justice. On that account I withhold my certificate.