The Sunday News
Nohlelo Mlilo, Sunday News Reporter
A 30-year-old man from Pumula South in Bulawayo has been arrested after he allegedly raped a teanager who was working as a maid at the house where he was a tenant.
The matter came to light when the man last week appeared before Western commonage regional magistrate Mr Shepherd Mjanja to answer to rape charges as defined under Section 65 of the criminal Law Codification and Reform Act Chapter 9:23.
He pleaded not guilty and was remanded out of custody on $10 000 bail to 1 March for trial. According to the State, as presented by prosecutor Ms Melissa Dube, the girl was recruited to start work at the house where Moyo was a tenant on 11 February
The court heard that on 13 February in the morning, the landlord went to church and left the girl and the accused in the house.
The girl was carrying out her duties when he approached her and started touching her body. The court heard that the girl tried to run away but the accused pulled her hair resulting in some of the braids she was wearing being uprooted. She managed to escape into one of the rooms and locked herself.
The court heard that at around 10 am, the accused went out and the girl came out of the room thinking she was now safe.
It was heard that at around 3 pm, the girl was in the kitchen and cooking. She went to the toilet and when she came out, he was now in his room which is adjacent to the toilet and he grabbed and shoved her into the room. He allegedly raped her without protection.
Although the girl screamed, no one heard her. The girl reported the matter to her employer when she came back. She was taken to police and a police report was made leading to the arrest of the accused. The girl was referred to a hospital and a medical report can be produced in court as exhibit.
Meanwhile, a 32-year-old man from Emakhandeni in Bulawayo has been jailed for 12 months after he was convicted of stealing goods worth $30 996 from his tenant. Bruce Mkhululi Ncube was found guilty when he appeared before Mr Shepherd Mjanja last week.
Ncube was sentenced to 12 months in prison of which three months were suspended on condition he does not commit a similar offence over the next three years while a further four months were suspended on condition that he compensates the complainant the sum of $30 456.
A further five months were suspended on the condition that the accused completes 175 hours of community service at Emakhandeni police base.
Representing the State, the prosecutor, Ms Dube said on 1 January around 5 am, Ncube unlawfully took five trousers, seven T-shirts, two jackets, one lotion, four kilogrammes of washing powder and six kilogrammes of chicken from his tenant’s room. The matter was reported to the police leading to his arrest.
The value of the stolen property is $30 996 and the value of the recovered property is $540 while the value outstanding is $30 456.
