The man who cannot be named to protect the girl’s identity
is from Ndumichenga village in Kamativi’s Malaria area under Chief Pashu. He
allegedly met the girl in Zvishavane in November last year and proposed love to
her.
The girl accepted before the accused coerced her into
marrying him a month later. The two left Zvishavane going to the accused’s
rural home in Kamativi where they started cohabiting as husband and wife in
December last year.
In terms of Zimbabwe’s laws, juveniles below the age of 16
are not able to make life decisions or consent to sex. The accused is facing
charges of unlawful detention, having sexual intercourse with a young person
and physical abuse.
He pleaded not guilty to all the charges when he appeared
before Hwange regional magistrate Mr Collet Ncube.
The magistrate remanded him in custody to November 24 as
the State is waiting for the girl’s mother to come from Zvishavane to testify.
Prosecuting, Mr Vumizulu Mangena said the matter came to
light after the accused assaulted the complainant at their matrimonial home on
Thursday last week.
“During the month of November 2019 the accused met the
complainant in Zvishavane and proposed love. She accepted. In December the
accused decided to marry the complainant and told her to meet him at Mberengwa
turn-off (along Zvishavane-Mbalabala road) without the knowledge of her
parents. The two met and proceeded to the accused’s rural home where they
started staying together as husband and wife,” said Mr Mangena.
He said the matter came to light last Thursday when the
accused and complainant had a misunderstanding at night which resulted in him
allegedly picking a log which he used to repeatedly assault the complainant all
over the body.
The accused allegedly chased the juvenile away from their
matrimonial bedroom and she sought refuge at her mother-in-law’s bedroom hut.
The mother-in-law accompanied her to the village head where she was given a
place to sleep for the night.
A police report was made and during investigations the girl
revealed how she got married to the accused leading to his arrest.
The complainant was referred to Binga District Hospital for
medical examination. Chronicle
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