Mavis Sibanda, a vendor operating in the Gokwe Central Business District (CBD), was convicted and sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment by the Gokwe Magistrates’ Court on charges of assault.
The court found that Sibanda unlawfully pricked the young girl’s finger to draw blood for an unsolicited HIV test using a rapid test kit, a move that the judiciary labelled as both “invasive and deeply traumatising.”
The assault occurred on the morning of May 26, 2025, at approximately 10:00 AM near Sai Mart Supermarket. According to testimony, Sibanda summoned the Grade 5 pupil to her vending stall under the guise of a friendly interaction.
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Once the child approached, Sibanda requested her right forefinger. Without warning or consent, she pierced it with a needle, extracted a drop of blood, and applied it to an HIV test strip.
The child, who was left in pain and visibly distressed, began crying. Two passersby noticed her in distress and approached to enquire what had happened. Upon hearing the girl’s account, they immediately escorted her home and informed her father. The incident was reported to the police shortly thereafter, leading to Sibanda’s arrest.
During the trial, the court condemned Sibanda’s actions as a clear violation of the child’s bodily autonomy and emotional safety. The presiding magistrate stated that the deliberate pricking of a minor’s finger to carry out a medical test without the knowledge or consent of the child’s guardian was “not only unlawful but reprehensible.”
