Man up for raping sex worker

A Damafalls man has appeared before Harare magistrate Francis Mapfumo facing serious allegations of raping a sex worker on two separate occasions after luring her under false pretenses.

The accused, Nyasha Ngwenya, was remanded in custody to July 8 as the trial continues.

According to prosecutors, the incident occurred in May this year after Ngwenya allegedly approached the complainant - a woman from Norton who works as a sex worker - at Jongwe Corner, a popular entertainment venue in Harare. He is said to have proposed sexual services for the entire night, offering to pay her US$14.

The complainant reportedly agreed to the arrangement and accompanied Ngwenya to his place of residence in Damafalls. However, upon arrival, the situation took a violent turn.

Prosecutors allege that Ngwenya produced an electric shocker and threatened to kill the woman if she resisted. He then allegedly dragged her into a nearby maize field, where he raped her twice without using protection.

The woman did not immediately report the matter but later spotted Ngwenya at the same venue, Jongwe Corner, attempting to solicit another sex worker. She then alerted the police, leading to his arrest.

The court heard that investigations are ongoing, and the state is expected to present more evidence when the trial resumes.

The case has drawn attention from gender-based violence advocacy groups, who have called for justice and greater protection for vulnerable women, including sex workers, who often face exploitation and abuse with little recourse.

If convicted, Ngwenya faces a lengthy prison sentence under Zimbabwe's laws on sexual violence.