The ManicaPost
Tendai Gukutikwa
The Mutare Civil Court recently heard that a teenage mother’s silence was bought for $5 after she had consensual sex with a Nyanga man at the age of 13. At the time, Darlington Nsingo was 22 years old.
The statutory rape case only came to light when Tanaka Asinu became pregnant. Now 17 years old, Asinu revealed the dark secret when she dragged Nsingo before the courts.
She is now seeking maintenance for her three-year-old child.
Nsingo admitted that he sired a child with the minor, but argued that Asinu was not a virgin on their first sexual encounter.
However, the magistrate, Ms Nyasha Kuture, told Nsingo that having a sexual relationship with a minor is an offence, whether consensual or not.
But to the court’s surprise, Asinu jumped to Nsingo’s defence, claiming that he had already been prosecuted enough for the matter. She also said after Nsingo was convicted for statutory rape, he had paid damages to her parents.
“I was only 13 years old when he slept with me. I did not even know what we were doing but he insisted and gave me $5 after the act. He promised me that he would give me more if I kept the secret safe, which I did.
“However, he never gave me more money as promised. When my parents found out that I was pregnant, I eloped to his home and stayed for a bit until he ran away.
“He was then arrested and was convicted for sleeping with me. By then, I was already heavily pregnant. Your Worship, since then, he has never taken care of me or his child,” narrated Asinu.
She told the court that Nsingo has the capacity to pay $600 every month towards the upkeep of his child as he is a diamond and gold buyer in Nyanga.
“He gets US$1 000 per week and I know all this because during my stay with him, we would eat meat and bread every day,” said the teenage mother.
Nsingo, however, offered to pay $100 every month, arguing that he earns $500 per week.
Ms Kuture ordered him to fork out $300 every month for the upkeep of his child. He was advised to work hard to ensure that his earnings will enable him to pay the $300 without fail.
