NKULUMANI MLAMBO
CHIVI-The long awaited trial of Chivi alleged rapist Pasipanodya Vushe (45) from Chivasa Village under Headman Gororo in Chivi has been set for February 2, 2023 at the Masvingo Magistrate Courts, The Midweek can exclusively reveal.
The rape case was only reported to the Police after it was published in Midweek Watch in in October soon after the alleged commissioning of the crime at Chifadza Clinic under Headman Matsveru where the 16 year old married and pregnant victim had gone for antenatal care routine check ups.
This publication could not ascertain how old the pregnancy was at the time as there seems to be efforts to conceal such information to protect the husband as the girl could have been underage when she fell pregnant.
Vushe (pictured) who is facing rape charges as defined in Section 65 (1) of the Criminal Law Codification Reform Act Chapter 09.23 was released from custody on bail at Masvingo Regional Magistrate Court through his lawyer, Owen Mafa.
He has since been dismissed from employment by the Ministry of Health and Child Care after being found guilty of misconduct, but his legal consel, Mafa is contesting the decision.
It is the State case that on October 10, 2022 the complainant from Dzimati Village under Headman Matsveru in Chivi who cannot be named for ethical reasons, visited Chifadza Clinic for her check ups and found Vushe who is from Chivasa Village under Headman Gororo on duty.
Vushe took the complainant to the examination room and ordered her to remove her undergarments.
After the examination he allegedly raped her once without protection and requested her to come back on October 15 so that they would go to Shokoni Business Centre for shopping baby preparation clothes.
It is said that when she arrived home on the same day, she discovered that she had left her cellphone at the clinic and she quickly turned back for it.
Upon arrival she found, Thomson Takaruva inside the examination room and she narrated her ordeal to him leading to the the case being reported to the Police.
Vushe appeared before a Chivi Magistrate who bailed him to January 18 this year.
The Midweek is in the process to find out whether the abused girl has given birth yet.
There are chances that there was rape by the so called husband whom she is staying with as her actual age at the time of marriage is not known.
The story is published with support from the Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe (VMCZ) and the Embassy of Canada in Zimbabwe under the Investigative Journalism Fund Program.
