The ManicaPost
Tendai Gukutikwa
Post Correspondent
A 30-YEAR-OLD Mutare taxi driver betrayed the trust bestowed on him and allegedly raped his girlfriend’s teenage sister after promising to marry her as her sister had moved to Harare.
Jestinos Mafovho was not asked to plead to the rape charges when he appeared before Mutare magistrate, Miss Prisca Tendai Manhibi, last week on Saturday.
He was, however, remanded in custody to June 28.
He is being charged with rape as defined in Section 65 (1) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, Chapter 9:23. Mr Chris Munyuki represented the State.
The incident came to light after the 17-year-old revealed the matter to her employer in Palmerstone shortly after the alleged rapist’s departure. The State alleged that on June 1, Mafovho called the complainant telling her that he wanted to see his girlfriend.
All the complainant told him that her sister was now based in Harare, Mafovho proceeded to visit her in Palmerstone. She took him to her bedroom and Mafovho told her that he wanted to marry her.
He proposed love to her, but she refused. She also turned down his sexual advances and he proceeded to rape her.
“Mafovho raped the complainant once and left,” said Mr Munyuki.
The complainant reported the matter to her employer.
She was taken to the police where she was referred to Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital for tests and further management.
A medical report proving that the complainant was raped was produced in court as an exhibit. Meanwhile, a 19-year-old Marange man also appeared in court for allegedly waylaying and raping a 14-year-old vendor.
Witness Chapeyama allegedly took some groundnuts from the minor’s basket and asked her to follow him so that she could collect her money.
When she refused, he dragged her into a bush and raped her. When she tried to scream, Chapeyama stashed sand into her mouth.
He only fled after a man arrived at the scene and caught him in the act. Chapeyama also appeared before Ms Manhibi and was not asked to plead to the rape charges.
He was denied bail and remanded in custody to June 28.
