The Sunday News
Precious Maphosa, Sunday News Reporter
A 38-year-old man from Bellevue suburb in Bulawayo has appeared in court on allegations of repeatedly raping his 13-year-old daughter at knife point for almost a year.
The matter came to light when the man who cannot be named to protect the daughter appeared at Bulawayo magistrate’s court before regional magistrate Mr Trynos Utahwashe where he was charged for contravening section 65 (1) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act Chapter 9:23 – rape.
Prosecuting, Mr Jethro Mada told the court that on a date unknown to the State but during the period extending from 2017 to August 2018, the accused repeatedly raped his daughter.
The court heard that sometime in October 2017 in the morning the accused person and the complainant were alone at home while other occupants were at work. The man instructed his daughter to prepare some tea while he was taking a bath.
The court was told that he then ordered her to take the tea to the bedroom. The man then followed her to the bedroom and produced an Okapi knife and threatened to kill his daughter if she made any noise. He allegedly also tied her mouth with a cloth before he closed the door and locked it and went on to rape her.
The complainant reported the ordeal to her aunt who told her not to reveal the matter to anyone on the same day.
Further, the court heard that in August 2018 last year, the man and his daughter were alone in the house. The daughter was in the kitchen washing some plates when her father suddenly grabbed her hand and force-marched her to his bedroom, where he locked the door and produced an Okapi knife and pushed her onto his bed and raped her once. She later reported the matter to the headmistress leading to the arrest of her father.
In a separate incident, a 19-year-old man from Phambuka line Tsholotsho allegedly raped his neighbour aged 15.
The State case is that the complainant went to the suspect’s house in the company of her friends to attend a birthday party. On arrival the girl and her friends were given some alcohol (hot stuff) to drink and they later became drunk. The girl’s friends went outside to play some music leaving her lying on the sofa alone. The man got into the room and found the girl alone. He removed her clothes and raped her.
It is alleged that while in the act one of the girl’s friends got into the house and found the man raping her friend. She alerted others who were outside who also witnessed the rape. The man, however, realising that he had been discovered ran away.
When the girl got up on the following morning she was informed about the act and she later went to her home where she told her grandmother who escorted her to Tsholotsho police to make a report.
@Precious Maphos7
