News / National
Woman reports rape four years later
26 Apr 2019 at 02:13hrs | Views
A 25-YEAR-OLD man from Bulawayo yesterday appeared in court for allegedly raping his girlfriend in 2015.
Mufaro Mutanda allegedly raped his girlfriend, who was 22 at the time and a student at the National University of Science and Technology, after taking her to a lodge following a braai. He appeared before Bulawayo Regional magistrate Mrs Sibonginkosi Mnkandla and pleaded not guilty to a charge of rape.
The magistrate remanded him to April 29 for continuation of trial.
Prosecuting, Mr Simbarashe Manyiwa said sometime in December 2015 at around 8PM, the complainant received a phone call from Mutanda who was her then boyfriend, telling her that he was on his way to pick her up for a braai.
"Mutanda picked her up at the National University of Science and Technology (Nust) campus where the complainant was a student at that time. They drove to a place which the complainant could not recognise because it was already dark. The accused person and his two male friends started chatting outside the car. When they got back in the car they stated that they had no fuel to take complainant back to campus," said Mr Manyiwa.
"Mutanda and his friend suggested that they were going to spend the night at a lodge in Barham Green suburb and promised to accompany her back to campus the next day. Payments were made and rooms divided. Accused person and the complainant shared the same bed for the night."
The court heard that the following morning, the complainant woke up to find Mutanda on top of her and when she asked him what he was doing, he did not respond.
"Mutanda went on to undress her and raped her without protection," he said. Mr Manyiwa said complainant fought Mutanda and he sustained bruises on the arm.
The court heard that Mutanda's victim spent years attempting to commit suicide until this year when she reported the matter to the police to find closure.
Mufaro Mutanda allegedly raped his girlfriend, who was 22 at the time and a student at the National University of Science and Technology, after taking her to a lodge following a braai. He appeared before Bulawayo Regional magistrate Mrs Sibonginkosi Mnkandla and pleaded not guilty to a charge of rape.
The magistrate remanded him to April 29 for continuation of trial.
Prosecuting, Mr Simbarashe Manyiwa said sometime in December 2015 at around 8PM, the complainant received a phone call from Mutanda who was her then boyfriend, telling her that he was on his way to pick her up for a braai.
"Mutanda picked her up at the National University of Science and Technology (Nust) campus where the complainant was a student at that time. They drove to a place which the complainant could not recognise because it was already dark. The accused person and his two male friends started chatting outside the car. When they got back in the car they stated that they had no fuel to take complainant back to campus," said Mr Manyiwa.
"Mutanda and his friend suggested that they were going to spend the night at a lodge in Barham Green suburb and promised to accompany her back to campus the next day. Payments were made and rooms divided. Accused person and the complainant shared the same bed for the night."
The court heard that the following morning, the complainant woke up to find Mutanda on top of her and when she asked him what he was doing, he did not respond.
"Mutanda went on to undress her and raped her without protection," he said. Mr Manyiwa said complainant fought Mutanda and he sustained bruises on the arm.
The court heard that Mutanda's victim spent years attempting to commit suicide until this year when she reported the matter to the police to find closure.
Source - chronicle
