Online Reporter
Zvikomborero Parafini
THE woman who claimed she was raped by her Australia-based boyfriend, at their first meeting in Harare, has been issued with a warrant of arrest after she did not appear in court yesterday at the start of the trial.
Prosecutor Loveit Masuku insisted that the complainant was not feeling well and could not attend the first day of the trial.
However, trial Magistrate Sandra Mupindu issued the complainant with a warrant of arrest for non attendance.
Bright Nyanhete 26, is the Australia-based man who is being accused of raping his girlfriend, aged 36. Nyanhete has dismissed the charges and says he sex was consensual.
He also said he did not fly to Harare to meet the woman, who is now accusing him of rape, but for his marriage to another woman, which is set for next month.
The court heard that the couple met through the complainant’s sister, who is also based in Australia, after Nyanhete had indicated that he wanted a Zimbabwean girl to marry.
Masuku told the court that the complainant told him that she was unwell and he proceeded to lead evidence from the investigating officer, Tsidzo Kaseke, who received the rape complaint on November 20.
Kaseke told the court after her initial report claiming that she had been raped, the complainant returned to the police station on November 26 saying she wanted to change her statement.
”She came back on November 26 saying she wanted to change her statement and when I asked why, she said her lawyer-cum-friend had told her that her statement wasn’t adequate.”
Kaseke said the complainant initially told her that she had been in a long distance relationship with Nyanhete, who had travelled to Australia to meet her for the first time.
She told the court that the complainant told her that they went to her apartment and talked before he forced himself on her once on the couch.
The couple then went to bed where Nyanhete allegedly raped her again.
“She then mentioned that she drank a whisky that Nyanhete had brought and she started feeling dizzy then he raped her on the couch and then in the bedroom.
In denying the offence, Nyanhete told the court that he had consensual sex with his girlfriend, the complainant, twice on the night of November 13 and 14 November and denied ever lacing her drink.
Nyanhete said he was back home from his base in Australia for his wedding next month.
He said the complainant was aware of his wedding plans and was clearly aggrieved that he was not marrying her.
He said it was not true that he came to Zimbabwe to meet with the complainant but he was here for his wedding and the two statements were clearly given to the police to extort money from him.
The trial is set to resume today.
daniel chigunwe
