Businessman rapes teen at gunpoint

A Harare woman forced her 17-year-old granddaughter into marriage with a Murehwa businessman, who allegedly raped the teenager on several occasions at gunpoint.

The businessman, Wonder Nyanhiki (40), who owns a night club, is also alleged to have assaulted the teenager with a belt and fists whenever she refused to be intimate with him.

It is the State's case that after marrying off her granddaughter, she then ordered Nyanhiki to transfer money into her account, which she said was for "chiredzwa".

She allegedly further advised Nyanhiki not to consult the teenager's mother for lobola negotiations saying that since she was the one who took care of the victim, she was entitled to the money.

She then demanded "chiredzwa". Nyanhiki appeared in court before Mr Noel Mupeiwa, who remanded him to September 7 for trial.

He is facing three charges of rape, pointing a firearm and assault. Mr Tapson Dzvetero is acting on his behalf while Mr Timothy Makoni is representing the State.

It is alleged that sometime in February, the grandmother, who intended to travel to South Africa, presented the teenager to Nyanhiki as his wife before demanding "chiredzwa" money.

She then took the girl's clothes and gave them to Nyanhiki, who then took the teen to Murehwa where she started working as a bar lady in his night club. Fearing that the girl would report the abuse to people, Nyanhiki is said to have stopped her from working in the club.

One night during the same month, Nyanhiki, the State alleged, went to the room where the girl was sleeping and asked to have sexual intercourse with her, but she refused.

This did not go down well with Nyanhiki, who then removed his belt and started assaulting her all over the body, it is alleged. It is alleged that he also drew his pistol and threatened to shoot the girl together with her mother if she did not comply with his demands.

He then raped her, the court heard. Since that day, Nyanhiki would rape the girl on several occasions, it is alleged. Sometime in May, the complainant managed to send a message to her aunt in South Africa on her mobile phone narrating how she was being assaulted by Nyanhiki.

In response, the aunt is said to have advised her to flee. The following day she asked for permission from Nyanhiki to travel to Harare and he allegedly chose to escort her.

While in the CBD, she lied that she wanted to meet her friend and give her some school textbooks. When she disembarked from Nyanhiki's vehicle, she then escaped and went to her friend's house and narrated her ordeal.

The court heard that Nyanhiki later learnt of the girl's whereabouts before proceeding to where she was and forcibly took her back to her grandmother's house.

While at the grandmother's house, during the night, the grandmother ordered Nyanhiki to sleep in the lounge together with the girl.

When he wanted to have sexual intercourse with her, the girl refused and Nyanhiki allegedly clapped and punched her before assaulting her with a belt in the presence of her grandmother.

The teen later escaped after some days and sought refuge at a church before she was helped to get to a police station where she made a report.