admin
Mashudu Mambo
A 38-YEAR-OLD man from Dingindawo Village in Tsholotsho, Matabeleland North who was accused of raping his 16-year-old niece heaved a huge sigh of relief after the court acquitted him of the charge.
The man was arrested after his neighbour made a false report to the police claiming that he was in the habit of raping his niece.
The alleged incident came to light after his niece fell pregnant.
The man, who cannot be named to protect the victim, appeared before Bulawayo regional magistrate Collet Ncube facing two counts of rape.
He was found not guilty of the rape charge and was acquitted after the court also failed to find any “credible and reliable” evidence against him.
In acquitting the man the magistrate stated that the complainant denied the allegations of being raped by her uncle.
“During trial, the complainant said that she was surprised when the police came and forced her to say that she had been raped and when she was asked about the person responsible of her pregnancy, she stated that it was her boyfriend, not her uncle.
“The victim’s mother also expressed shock about the police’s actions and told the court that she was never told about any rape incident by the victim,” said Ncube.
Ncube said there was no evidence against the accused and subsequently found him not guilty of the rape charges.
“In this case, the complainant denied that she was raped and the court’s evidence is based on the suspicions of the neighbour. The accused is therefore found not guilty of the two counts of rape and is discharged,” charged Ncube.
Allegations which were being levelled against the man were that sometime in 2018, his wife was not at home when he enticed his niece with R20.
He was alleged to have led the victim to his bedroom where he undressed her and forcibly had sex with her.
The victim was reported to have not reported the matter to anyone.
On the second occasion in 2019, it was alleged that when the man’s wife had gone to harvest mopane worms he lured the victim to his bedroom and had sexual intercourse with her after he promised to give her R10.
The matter was reported to the police leading to the arrest of the man.
Siphakeme .Mnindwa
mbulelo smpofu
