Trial of a Chief accused of deflowering a teenager commences

THE trial of Buhera's Chief Chitsunge - Magaya Gunguwo (83) - accused of raping a teenager started on Monday at the Rusape Regional Court with the victim accusing the traditional leader of muzzling her mouth and threatening to kill her each time he forced himself on her in his bedroom where she often went to collect maize-meal.

Gunguwo, who was represented by Mr Kumbirai Masarire, of Mutsahuni and Chikore Legal Practitioners, was brought before Mr Livingstone Chipadza on allegations of raping a 14-year-old schoolgirl.

The victim, who is doing Grade Six and is related to the chief, testified in a closed TV circuit.

The trial was adjourned to March 14 when the State, led by Area Public Prosecutor Mr Tirivanhu Mutyasira, is expected to call in the minor's mother as the last witness.

Apart from the girl, two witnesses - a nurse, Aquiline Mbizi and a counselor, Tanyaradzwa Tsuro, testified and confirmed that the girl had been deflowered.

They told the court that the minor revealed to them that she had been raped on several occasions by the traditionalist.

The victim told the bench that she was hesitant to report her repeated abuse at the hands of the traditional leader as she took the death threats seriously.

She revealed in court that the traditionalist chased her away after she had refused to accompany him to an unknown place, fearing that he would be raped again.

The court heard that the traditionalist used to rape her when his wife was outside the bedroom.

She said when the chief chased her away, she was suffering from severe stomach crumbs and sought sanctuary at her mother's house.

When she disclosed her stomach ailment to her mother, she was taken to the nearby Pokoteke Clinic, where she was given pain killers.

Aquiline Mbizi, a nurse who attended to her told the court that when she was asked by the girl's mother to examine her she discovered that the girl had lost her virginiity.

"I discovered that she had lost her virginiity and was like a sexually active woman. When I asked her, she told me that she had been raped by Chief Chitsunge on several occasions. I referred her to Tanyaradzwa Tsuro, a counselor at the clinic for psychological therapy," said Mbizi.

Tsuro confirmed counseling the minor, whom she said disclosed to her that she had been raped on several occasions by the chief.

The chief is denying the charges, arguing that he never or attempted to rape the girl in anyway.

He argues that the allegations were manufactured in order to fix him. The chief alleges that the girl and her mother were being used by some members of his dynasty who are fighting to have him dethrone before his consecration as the new Chief Chitsunge.

He also argues that the minor has a history of sleeping around.

"When I took the complainant and her mother to stay with me, the complainant already had a history of sleeping around. She was known to sleeping around with men and it is known in the entire community," said the accused.

He further argues that he was staying with the girl because her mother had no means to fend for her.

He said his decision, during the census period, to return the girl to her mother so that she would get a birth certificate infuriated her mother, resulting in her plotting to fix him.

He said he was surprised later to hear that he had raped the complainant.

Mr Mutyasira said the crimes were committed between February and August last year after the chief had asked the girl to look after his grandchildren while he attended a chiefs' conference in Bulawayo.

When he got back from the conference, the chief allegedly raped the girl several times in his bedroom.

The matter only surfaced after the girl started complaining of stomach pains.

Her mother took her to the clinic where it was discovered she had been sexually abused.