adminMashudu Netsianda Senior Court Reporter
A BULAWAYO man suffering from epilepsy was robbed of his money at knifepoint before he was sodomised until he lost consciousness, a magistrate heard yesterday.
Regional magistrate Mark Dzira heard this when Bongani Tshuma, 31, of Makokoba suburb, appeared before him facing four counts of robbery and aggravated indecent assault and theft.
Tshuma pounced on three victims on different occasions.
He only pleaded guilty to two counts of robbery and was remanded in custody to today for continuation of trial after denying the other charge of robbery and aggravated indecent assault.
Prosecuting, Paida Zengeni said on November 19 last year shortly after 4.30PM, the complainant Liberty Muchena was walking towards Entumbane when he was spotted from a distance by Tshuma near the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) diesel shed.
The court heard that when Muchena got closer, Tshuma confronted him and demanded money at knifepoint.
Muchena surrendered his cellphone and $75.
After committing the crime, Tshuma fled into a nearby bush.
The following day at about 6PM near Sobukazi High School in Mzilikazi, Tshuma met Gladys Khumalo who was coming from Mpilo Central Hospital in the company of her younger sister.
“Tshuma confronted the two women and blocked their way before he pulled out a knife and demanded money from Khumalo,” said Zengeni.
Tshuma took the complainant’s cellphone and $48 before he melted into the darkness.
A week later, Tshuma met his third victim at a bushy footpath between Mzilikazi and Entumbane shortly after 1PM.
The court heard that Tshuma chased the complainant who is epileptic and caught up with him after he fell down.
He allegedly sodomised him until he passed out after which he searched him and took $30. Tshuma fled from the scene leaving the man lying unconscious on the ground.
He was arrested on December 13 after one of the complainants spotted him and alerted police who assigned their Dog Unit to track him down.
The complainants managed to positively identify Tshuma during an identification parade at Ross Camp Police Station.
Tshuma, in his defence, denied sexually abusing the third complainant and robbing him of his money.
“I only plead guilty to the first two counts of robbery. I didn’t commit the third count of robbery and aggravated indecent assault. In fact, when I got arrested it was for the two counts of robbery and I was shocked when a police officer at Barbourfields Police Base came up with a new charge of sodomy, which I didn’t commit,” said Tshuma.
When the complainant took to the witness stand, he maintained that Tshuma sexually attacked and robbed him of $30 at knifepoint.
“Tshuma confronted me in a bush between Mzilikazi and Entumbane as I was coming from church. He attacked me until I lost consciousness and the next thing I discovered when I regained consciousness was that my anus had sperms and blood oozing out,” said the complainant.
He said when he went to the hospital a medical report compiled by doctors indicated that he was sodomised.
Online Reporter