Gang rape at swim, booze house

AN AFTERNOON of boozing with men more than twice their age ended in tears for two teenage girls after one of them was allegedly raped in a plush Bulawayo suburb.

Prosecutors have charged Bulawayo socialite, Mike Marata, 35, and his friend, Bekithemba Maphosa, 29, with rape.

The Bulawayo Magistrate^ Court on Tuesday heard how Marata and Maphosa allegedly plied the two girls - who went to their house for a swim - with alcohol before taking turns to rape the victim, 15, in one of the bedrooms where she was changing after a shower.

Marata and Maphosa were not asked to plead during a brief appearance before Bulawayo magistrate Crispen Mberewere. They were remanded to May 7 on $100 bail each.

The two teenagers, said Trust Muduma for the State, had arranged with their friend, Munyaradzi Chigodo - who is also a resident of the house on Coghlan Avenue in Kumalo - to spend the afternoon swimming.

It was Marata and Maphosa, however, who turned up in Marata's blue Jeep to pick up the two teenagers in Greenhill suburb.

They drove to Bradfield shops where Marata and Maphosa bought several bottles of Hunters before they proceeded to Kumalo.

Chigodo was not at die house when they arrived in Kumalo, Muduma said

The two girls asked for and were pointed to one of the bedrooms where they changed into their swimming costumes. "The girls went for a swim and drank beer during intervals while Marata and Maphosa were playing football, while also drinking beer said Muduma.

The girls later asked to take a shower and went into the bathroom while Marata and Maphosa sat in the lounge.

"After one of the girls had bathed, the two men also got into the bathroom and Maphosa told the girls that he also wanted to bath," said Muduma.

The court heard that the alleged victims friend, who had wrapped a bathing towel around her waist over the swimming costume, left the bathroom

Maphosa, the court heard, took a bath while the victim - who was wearing only her panties and no bra - sat and wailed for him to finish.

After Maphosa finished bathing, the victim got into the bath tub and told him to leave the room as she wanted to bath, but he refused, says the prosecution.

Maphosa, the court heard, also jumped into the tub stating that he wanted to bath again. Marata turned up with a mobile phone and asked to take pictures of the alleged victim, telling her he admired her body. She agreed.

The court heard that after taking the pictures, the victim got into one of the bedrooms to change and the two men Mowed her.

Maphosa, it is alleged, pulled her and forced her on the bed. "Marata got on top of the victim who pushed him away but he persisted," said Muduma. He wore a condom and raped her once, die court heard.

Maphosa also allegedly wore a condom and raped the teenager once Marata finished.

Marata, the court heard, handed the girl $30 and ordered her not to tell anyone about the sex attack

The victim's friend, on going to check on her, found her sitting on a toilet seat, crying. She narrated her ordeal.

The friend, said Muduma, helped the victim to get dressed and escorted her out of the house. Marata met them outside and offered them a lift He dropped them off at the Morningside shops before they finished die journey by walking to the victims home nearby.

She told her cousin, who later told her mother, of the alleged gang rape and police were called