Child stalker arrested over pupil's pregnancy

A 61-YEAR-OLD man from Southwold suburb in Bulawayo, who last year was accused of stalking pupils at Greenfield Primary School and proposing love to them, has been arrested for allegedly impregnating a 14-year-old pupil.

The development has caused uproar in the suburb with residents calling for the man to be removed from the area. The man, Mr Lovemore Muchayiri, who is a married recharge card vendor, was arrested on Saturday. He reportedly used to run a fleet of public transport vehicles.

Sources close to the developments yesterday said Muchayiri went to Donnington Police Station on Friday and alleged that there were people who wanted to extort money from him.

"Apparently, he wanted to pre-empt the family of the girl which had told him it was going to make a report to the police. He told the police that there was a family that was demanding about $6 500 from him to keep quiet about an undisclosed issue," said a source.

A friend of Muchayiri, who declined to be named, said Muchayiri told him that a family of a girl whom he had made pregnant was demanding $500 for an abortion and $6 000 to ensure the matter was not reported to the police.

"I am told the girl's parents went to make a report on Saturday and my friend was arrested," said the friend.

A number of residents who spoke to Chronicle said they would stage a demonstration to force authorities to relocate Muchayiri to another suburb.

"This man has been preying on our children for a long time. We will approach the councillor because we feel we are justified in not wanting him in the suburb. Our children are no longer safe," said one of the residents.

Councillor Jennifer Bent, under whose jurisdiction Southwold falls, said she supported residents in their bid to have Muchayiri removed from the suburb.

"Residents have not come to me formally but I also feel the man has become a menace to society. Only last week, residents said he was bragging that he does not sleep with old women as he preferred school children. I support the residents," said Clr Bent.

Contacted for comment, police spokesperson for Bulawayo Inspector Mandlenkosi Moyo confirmed the incident. He said the man has been arrested for statutory rape.

"We are handling a case in which a 61-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly raping a 14-year-old minor," said Insp Moyo.

Last year, Muchayiri was accused of stalking at least three children at Greenfield Primary School.

The pupils were in Grade Three, Six and Seven.

He would allegedly give the children up to $50 or airtime recharge cards as inducements before inviting them to be his "friends".

At the time, residents said he used to drive alongside the children when they knocked off from school and tried to entice them into his car.

School authorities even told pupils at assembly not to talk to him.

Mr Muchayiri allegedly worked with an old woman who sold sweets at the school gate to give the children the money.

Parents of some of the children alleged that the woman used to phone the children on behalf of Muchayiri. The girl that he has allegedly made pregnant was included on the list of school children he was reportedly having affairs with.

At the time Muchayiri dismissed the allegations saying the children were his friends and he would never molest them.

Although a number of reports were made by parents, he was not arrested due to lack of evidence.