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Lovemore Kadzura
Rusape Correspondent
MARRIED men who go after school going girls, taking advantage of their immaturity to sexually exploit them, are disrupting the lives of the innocent juveniles, a traditional court has ruled.
Chief Makoni’s court had no kind words for Nicholas Nyambodza of Inyati Mine who impregnated a Form Three learner and dumped her.
Nyambodza was dragged to the chief’s court by the girl’s father, Timothy Chirewo, who stated that Nyambodza has been evasive on paying for the upkeep of his son since birth.
“My daughter was doing Form Three at Chiome Secondary School in 2021 when she was impregnated by Nyambodza. I sent my sister to Nyambodza’s homestead to surrender my daughter as his new bride, but he refused to take her saying he already had another wife.
“I took my daughter back and she gave birth to a baby boy. Nyambodza has never made any efforts to follow up on his son or provide for his upkeep. What he did to my daughter, especially disturbing her education, hurts me to the core. I want him to pay three beasts, three goats and US$3 000,” said Chirewo.
Nyambodza, who was accompanied by his wife during the court hearing, said Chirewo should be patient with him as he raises lobola for his first wife first and then for Chirewo’s daughter.
“I never refused to take Chirewo’s daughter as my second wife. I still love her. My only concern was that she and her aunt first approached the village ward chairman instead of confronting me. I was not happy with that.
“It is the first time to meet her father at this court. He should have looked for me to discuss the issue. I will pay what he wants after paying the bride price for my first wife,” Nyambodza told the court.
However, the court ruled that Nyambodza was very insincere and unapologetic, especially considering the seriousness of the matter.
“We should send a strong message to sexual perverts like you who pounce on young school girls. The message to people like you Nyambodza is: ‘Hands off young girls’.
“You should view girls in school uniforms as your own daughters and sisters. You should stay away from them. You are very cruel because you have a wife back home, but you chose to go after a school girl before dumping her together with your son.
“You are not even remorseful, you are even telling her father that he should have looked for you when you are the one who should have done that after violating his daughter.
“You should pay for your actions and you will pay everything being demanded by the girl’s father,” the court ruled.
Nyambodza had his cattle and property attached soon after the hearing to settle Chirewo’s demands.
Under Zimbabwean law, the age of consent for sexual intercourse is 16.
Sexual relations involving someone below the age of consent therefore falls under statutory rape, which is a criminal offence.
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