Businessman rapes employee

A GWANDA businessman, who is also a prophet popularly known as "Maketane", allegedly raped one of his female employees in the presence of a workmate whom he ordered to face the other way, a court has heard.

Muzi Ngwenya, 40, of Mawaza area who owns shops in the district, on Friday made an initial appearance before Gwanda magistrate Arafat Kozanai charged with rape.

He was not asked to plead and was advised to apply for bail at the High Court before being remanded in custody to September 12.

Allegations by the state represented by Mncedisi Dube are that on August 25 this year, Ngwenya raped one of his employees who cannot be named (to protect her dignity) while at one of his shops in the presence of another female employee.

The court heard how Ngwenya committed the alleged offence. "The accused person assaulted the complainant and her workmate accusing them of not sleeping at the shop where they work.

"He then locked the two in a room and asked the complainant to demonstrate what she did with her boyfriend," Dube told the court.
He said Ngwenya allegedly forced himself on the complainant after ordering her colleague to face a direction where she could not see them.

"The complainant lay down to demonstrate and Ngwenya took the opportunity to rape her once, after telling her workmate to face the other way," Dube told the court. The matter was reported to the police leading to Ngwenya's arrest.