An ex-soldier from Bulawayo raped a married woman after he visited her home to collect his $1 owed by her husband during the night, a court heard.
29 year-old Tafadzwa Ignatious Kadongo, of Trenance, allegedly raped the woman in the absence of her husband who works in the city centre.
Yesterday Kadongo appeared before regional magistrate Mark Dzira facing charges of rape.
He entered a not guilty plea and was remanded in custody to today for continuation of trial.
Prosecuting ,Tinashe Dzipe told the court that on July 19 this year at around midnight, the woman was alone at her house when Kadongo arrived demanding his outstanding $1 for the fish that he had sold to the woman’s husband.
“She told him that her husband was at work but Kadongo forced open the door which was supported by a stone to stop it from opening and entered the house.
He got into the woman’s blankets, removed his trousers and raped her once. When she screamed for help Kadongo threatened to kill her,” Dzipe told the court.
The court heard that after raping the woman, Kadongo took the stone used to hold the door and threw it outside dropping and leaving his cap inside the room. Dzipe said the woman told her husband when he arrived, then they reported the matter to the police who arrested Kadongo.
The woman’s husband told the court that they owed Kadongo $1 as they had bought fish from him on credit.
Defending himself,Kadongo, denied going to their house during the night, instead,said he went to the woman’s home in the morning of the same day and forgot his cap which was now being used as evidence in court.
“Your worship, my cap fell when I was at the woman’s home and I forgot it but I didn’t rape her. I’m the one who made a report to the neighbourhood police after hearing rumours that I was being accused of rape.This woman never reported the incident to the police.
Her husband pleaded with me not to report the matter but solve it out of court but I decided to inform the police officers as I sought justice,” said Kadongo.
The state seeks to prove that Kadongo is misrepresenting facts to the court. The woman was medically examined on July 20 and the results will be presented as evidence in court.
The trial continues today with a defence witness giving his evidence. -State Media