Church woman lied to disguise affair, court told

A BULAWAYO man, Hudson Mazonde, in court for allegedly raping a married church mate has claimed that she was framing him to cover up for her adultery.

The 29-year-old woman, who is a teacher, alleges that Mazonde called her on her cellphone inviting her to his house to watch some movies and when she went there, he raped her. She asked him to use a condom during the suspected attack and he complied.

When they were coming out of the house, they met some neighbours, and the woman later told her husband that she was raped.

However, Mazonde told regional magistrate Chrispen Mberewere that he met the woman at a funeral, the day before and planned on consensual sex, which saw the woman subsequently reporting at his house.

He added that the woman was now alleging that he raped her in a bid to save her marriage.

"We had discussed the issue a day before at a funeral where we were together. She came to my house and I allowed her in and she sat on a sofa in the sitting room," he said.

Mazonde said he then invited her to his bedroom and she complied.

"I sat on the bed and we were watching a movie while talking about past relationships we both had and also about her marriage. I then moved to the edge of the bed and invited her to come closer which she did and stood in between my legs," said Mazonde.

He said they started kissing and touching and later took off clothes before moving to the bed.

"On the bed I was on top of her, kissing and touching. She then asked me to use a condom and I reached for one which was at the side table. And we had sex. Midway we decided to change positions and then laid in bed for a while caressing," he said.

Mazonde added that the woman asked what time it was and when he told her that it was about 4.20PM, they hurriedly dressed up as she had to collect her daughter from pre-school.

"I received a call from her husband the next morning accusing me of raping her. I maintain that we had consensual sex and there was no time she told me she was not willing. She is just trying to save her marriage."

Taking the witness stand, Dr Goodness Msimanga told the court that the woman approached her on July 10 informing her that she had been raped by a fellow church member.

"She told me that she had trusted the individual since he knew her family. When I saw her she was distressed, weeping and not sure what to do," said Dr Msimanga.

She said the woman was reluctant to report the matter as she feared her husband's reaction.

"We also discussed post exposure prophylaxis and I prescribed drugs for her before giving out my contact numbers in case she needed help. She came the following day saying the husband was supportive and that they had made a police report," added the doctor.

The woman appeared in court last week and told Magistrate Mberewere that she had pleaded with Mazonde to use protection as she feared contracting HIV.

"He pinned me to the bed and tried to force himself on me. When I realised that he was overpowering me, I asked him if he was going to rape me without a condom. I don't even know his status," said the woman.

The woman also told the magistrate that she was too shocked to scream when Mazonde forced her to have sex with him.

She then told the magistrate that Mazonde forced her to get on her knees while on the bed, before raping her from behind.

Prosecuting, Trust Muduma told the court that Mazonde had raped his church-mate after she accepted his invite to come and watch a movie with him at his house. She accepted.

It is alleged that when she got into the house, Mazonde started "acting funny" before he invited her to his bedroom, but she allegedly refused. He then reportedly used force on her and allegedly raped her once.

She later informed her husband of the ordeal and the man in turn made a police report, leading to Mazonde's arrest.

The trial continues on August 21.