Headmaster up for attempted rape

A 39-year-old Die Roots Primary School headmaster has been arraigned before a Marondera court for attempted rape and indecent assault, after he allegedly fondled his 15-year-old maid's breasts and private parts.

Mathias Kalulu, who lives in Dombotombo, however, denied the allegations when he appeared before Marondera magistrate Mr Arnold Maburu, who rolled over the case to May 18.

Through his lawyer, Mr Tapiwa Muhlwa of Chigoro Law Chambers, Kalulu accused his maid of making up the story to fix him since she had been fired.

"Your Worship, this girl is just bitter that my wife relieved her of her duties because of incompetence. She was hurt and now she is taking it all out on me. Why is it that she did not disclose all these allegations when she was still my maid?" said Kalulu.

Prosecutor Mr Courage Chakawa told the court that on February 17 this year, Kalulu was driving home with his maid, Lisnet Rutendo Limusa.

He later parked his car by the roadside, claiming that it had developed a mechanical fault.

Kalulu reportedly then made a move on the maid and started fondling her breasts without her consent.

The State alleges that later in the same month, Kalulu's wife left him in the company of the maid when she went to Marondera Hospital.

Kalulu reportedly took advantage of his wife's absence and proceeded to the maid's room during the night.

He allegedly grabbed and pinned her to the bed before asking to be intimate with her.

Although the maid tried to push him away, Kalulu allegedly undressed her and forced himself on top of the maid.

But he only fondled the victim.

When the girl was fired in March ostensibly for incompetence, she revealed her ordeal to her mother, leading to Kalulu's arrest.

Meanwhile, a Macheke man committed suicide after he was caught by his wife raping his stepdaughter, writes our Mashonland East correspondent Itai Mazire.

It is understood that the minor was left in the custody of her stepfather by her mother when the latter went for a morning church service on May 7.

Mashonaland East province acting police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Tendai Mwanza confirmed the incident, adding that investigations are still underway.

"On May 7, 2018, our police units received a report of a man who had committed suicide after consuming an unknown pesticide," said Asst Insp Mwanza.

Prior to this, the now deceased, from Wenimbi Village in Macheke, was left asleep in the same hut as his stepdaughter.

While the wife was enroute to church, she discovered that she had left something and returned home.

Upon opening the door, the 22-year-old mother saw her husband raping her daughter on the bed.

"Realising that he had been caught, the now deceased grabbed a pesticide bottle behind the door before fleeing in his undergarments," Asst Insp Mwanza said.