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A BULAWAYO man allegedly raped a married woman after he had gone to her home to demand his $1 owed by her husband in the middle of the night, a court heard.
Tafadzwa Ignatious Kadongo, 29, of Trenance, allegedly raped the woman in the absence of her husband who works in the city centre.
Kadongo appeared yesterday before regional magistrate Mark Dzira facing a rape charge.
He pleaded not guilty 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 approached her 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 went on to force open the door which was supported by a stone to stop it from opening. He entered the house.
“Kadongo got into the woman’s blankets, removed his trousers and raped her once. She screamed for help but 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 leaving his cap inside the room. Dzipe said the woman told her husband soon after his arrival and a report was made to the police leading to Kadongo’s arrest.
The woman’s husband told the court that they owed Kadongo $1 as they had bought fish from him on credit.
Kadongo, an ex-soldier, said in his defence that he went to the woman’s home in the morning of the same day and forgot his cap which was now being used as an exhibit 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 rope in the police officers as I sought justice,” said Kadongo.
The state seeks to prove that Kadongo is misrepresenting facts to the court. A medical examination was conducted on the woman on July 20 and it will be produced in court as evidence.The trial continues today with a defence witness giving his evidence. Chronicle