shloboe boe
Danisa Masuku
WHILE others were drinking heavily and some were allegedly having sex in different rooms at a Vuzu party, Thamsanqa Gumede (34) was reportedly approached by a 15-year-old girl who reportedly asked him to hand her handbag, which contained sanitary pads and other belongings.
Gumede is alleged to have then exploited the opportunity by following her to a room where she was changing the sanitary pads and allegedly sexually assaulted her.
The incident occurred last Saturday, shortly after 9 pm, in Tshabalala suburb, Bulawayo. It is alleged that Gumede was invited to a Vuzu party by his friend.
While she was in the room, Gumede allegedly stormed in and demanded to have sex with her. She
allegedly refused. Gumede then reportedly grabbed her, pushed her onto the bed and sexually assaulted her.
Following the assault, the teenager left to sleep in another room. The next morning, she returned to her family home. Upon her arrival, her grandfather inquired about where she had slept.
That is when she revealed that she had slept at a Vuzu party and had been raped by Gumede. The matter was subsequently reported to the police, leading to Gumede’s arrest.
On Monday, Gumede appeared before Bulawayo regional magistrate Joseph Mabeza, charged with rape.
He was not asked to plead and was remanded out of custody to 20 January, on US$100 bail. He was ordered to report to the Tshabalala Police Station every Friday. Siphiwe Mhlanga prosecuted the case.
mbulelo smpofu
