Zhou is being
accused of indecently assaulting the student on a number of occasions.
He says the
allegations, and the court case, are just meant to tarnish his image.
Zhou says he
was also threatened with witchcraft before the so-called cabal reported him to
the police.
Zhou pleaded
not guilty when he appeared before Harare regional magistrate, Fadzai
Mthombeni, where he is facing allegations of aggravated indecent assault.
He told the
court that he never abused the complainant, who is a former student at the
school.
Zhou is also
accusing his former student of allegedly extorting US$15,000 from him to
facilitate the withdrawal of his aggravated indecent assault case.
The former
student, who is now 19, and his accomplice Charles Masiyandaita, have already
appeared before Harare magistrate Apollonia Marutya yesterday, facing extortion
charges.
Masiyandaita is
a former teacher at Allan Wilson High School.
The State is
claiming that Emmanuel Venge, the Allan Wilson SDC vice-chairperson, was
requested by Masiyandaita to engage Zhou and demand US$15,000 to facilitate the
withdrawal of the aggravated indecent assault case.
Masiyandaita
would constantly check with Venge telling him that if Zhou didn’t pay the
money, he would ensure that the matter goes to trial and he would be jailed.
Venge informed
Zhou who said he didn’t have money and wasn’t interested in participating in
any illegal activity.
The matter was
immediately reported to the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission.
A team from
ZACC requested Venge to call Masiyandita to confirm that, indeed, he was the
one orchestrating the extortion bid.
He allegedly
confirmed that he needed US$15,000 to ensure the withdrawal of the matter.
They arranged
to meet at Montague Shopping Centre where Masiyandaita and the student, who is
accusing Zhou of indecent assault, were arrested after receiving US$200.
Yesterday, Zhou
appeared in court and dismissed the allegations against him.
“These are
malicious allegations designed to tarnish the accused’s reputation.
“These are
framed charges emanating from a toxic bad blood between Zhou and his deputy
headmaster and his cabal.
“Zhou will
further state that bad blood started when he took over headship from the deputy
headmaster.
“The bad blood
escalated when Masiyandaita, one of the deputy head’s cabal, was dismissed for
theft and the dismissal of the complainant from being a boarder, after having
been illegally admitted as a boarder by the cabal,” reads his defence outline.
He said the
allegations against him were false and there were witchcraft threats as well as
threatening messages from the cabal before the complainant made the report of
the false allegations.
He told the
court that the allegations were meant to embarrass him and his family.
The trial
resumes on November 6.
Allegations are
that in 2022, the complainant, who is now 19 years old, heard from his
neighbours in Seke that certain schools in Harare were offering scholarships to
underprivileged children.
He went to
Prince Edward, Cranborne Boys High School and Churchill but could not get a
scholarship.
He then went to
Allan Wilson Boys High where he met Zhou.
He told him
that he was looking for a Form 3 boarding place.
He allegedly
told Zhou that he was a traditional healer and Zhou offered to cater for all
his needs in exchange for spiritual help.
The court heard
that in June 2022, Zhou allegedly called the complainant to his car and told
him that he wanted to have gay relationship with him since he was catering for
all his expenses.
Zhou allegedly
threatened to expel the student from school in the event he turned down his
advances.
The State
claims that due to his desperate situation the student agreed to the request
and Zhou indecently abused him.
The student
returned to the hostel but never told anyone about the incident.
In January
2023, Zhou allegedly took the student from the hostel to the laundry room and
indecently abused him for the second time.
In February
2023, the school organised a trip and Zhou insisted that the student should go
with him.
The State
claims he then took the student to his house and abused him for the third time.
The following
morning, all Form One students boarded the bus and went to Victoria Falls.
Zhou took the
student into his car and drove to Victoria Falls where he booked a room for him
and abused him for three days. He allegedly abused him again on the way back.
Zhou allegedly
also abused the student on numerous occasions, according to the State.
In June last
year, the complainant went to the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Offices where he
told his story to one of the officers.
However,
according to the State, the officer advised him not to report his story since
Zhou was the one who was paying his school fees.
Zhou then
allegedly took the student’s phone and deleted all his messages and pictures
and told him that he had powerful connections and no one was going to believe
his story.
When the
complainant wanted to register for his exams, he asked Zhou to help him with
some money but he refused, according to the State,
The student was
then helped to register for his exams by some of the teachers at Allan Wilson
Boys High School and this did not go down well with Zhou.
He expelled him
from the school.
After receiving
his results this year, the student filed a police report with the assistance of
his teacher. H Metro
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