Tendai Mbede
CHIREDZI-
Bismack Zhou (25) from Monyoroka
village, Triangle appeared before Chiredzi Regional Magistrate Judith Zuyu
facing rape allegations after his girlfriend reported him for having sexual
intercourse with her before paying lobola to her parents,
TellZim News can report.
According
to State papers, on September 11, 2020 the accused invited the complainant to
his house for formal introductions to his siblings.
The
State argued that after dinner, the accused locked the complainant in his room
and declared that they had been officially married as husband and wife without
the accused’s consent.
The
accused went on to have sexual intercourse with the complainant without her
consent while his brothers were on guard.
The
accused’s sister would accompany the complainant to the toilet whenever she
felt like relieving herself so as to prevent her from escaping.
They
stayed together having sexual intercourse several times from September 11 until
the accused managed to run away on September 26, 2020.
The
accused had given the complainant’s aunt a goat as a token of appreciation for
giving him a wife.
In
his defence, the accused said on September 05, 2020, he went to his
girlfriend’s place (complainant) and told her that he wanted to marry her and
she agreed. He said they proceeded to his homestead and stayed together until
September 26, 2020 when she ran away from his house.
He
also told the court that there was some misunderstanding between ‘his wife’ and
his mother.
When
the accused phoned the complainant asking about her whereabouts, she told the
accused that he must pay lobola first to her parents so that they could stay together
formally.
The
accused said he had no money during that time and that is why the complainant
made a police report and filed a rape case.
The
accused later went to the complainant’s parents to discuss about the
compensation and he produced only an identity card saying he had no money.
Prosecutor
Noel Muranda represented the State and the case was moved further for trial continuation.
