Elliot Jinjika
CHIVHU – A 44-year-old man from Chidumuro village under Chief Chivese, last week appeared in the Chivhu Magistrates Court facing charges of repeatedly his daughter from as far back as 2012.
The accused, who may not be named to protect the victim, is younger brother to a Member of Parliament (MP) and cabinet minister.
He pleaded not guilty to the rape allegations when he appeared before magistrate Fadzai Mutombeni but was put on remand pending continuation of trial.
Led by Nicholas Mabvongodze, the State charged that on January 25, 2012 at around 22:00 hrs, the man, who was represented by his lawyer Admire Rubaya, entered the complainant’s bedroom where he closed the mouth of the girl and raped her once.
It is alleged that from that day onwards, the man raped the girl, who is now 17-years-old and is attending a local secondary school, several times in the same bedroom using the same method up until April 2017.
The State also alleges that on May 7 this year, the girl went to Harare for the school holidays where she picked up courage and divulged the alleged rape to her uncle.
The uncle then accompanied the girl to Borrowdale Police Station where she filed a police report two days later.
In another case, a Featherstone man appeared before the same court for allegedly raping a 15-year-old speech-impaired teenager.
Knowledge Dziva, of Dziva viallge under Chief Nyoka, was charged with raping the girl in April this year.
Prosecutor Nicholas Mabvongodze alleged that on April 14, 2017, Dziva visited the complainant’s homestead and got into the kitchen where he began to share traditional beer with the girl’s grandfather, who is blind and deaf due to old age.
Dziva allegedly took advantage of the old man who was quickly getting drunk and dragged the girl to the main house where he raped her on a sofa.
Unbeknown to Dziva, a villager identified as Blessing Makova had seen him dragging the girl to the main house and had alerted other villagers who then gathered around the house and apprehended him.
The girl allegedly failed to explain what had happened and the attacker was left scot free until May 13 when she disclosed the ordeal to a Constable Mafaindi.
Dziva was not asked to plead but was placed on remand waiting to appear in the Chivhu Magistrates Court this week.local
