adminRay Bande Senior Reporter
THE trial of Hartzell High School headmaster who allegedly sexually abused a minor and infected her with a sexually transmitted disease continues today (Friday), with the defence counsel cross-examining the minor.
The minor recently told the court that she was actually in love with the headmaster, Shorwi Kawadza and that the two slept together on different occasions.
When cross-examination of the minor started last Friday, the defence counsel sought to prove that the minor was an unreliable witness after she purportedly once disclosed that the two – the headmaster and Cecilia Thobani, the second accused – had no case to answer during a recorded phone conversation with a social welfare attaché.
The orphaned minor was an inmate at Fairfield Children’s Home when the crime was allegedly committed.
Kawadza is appearing before Mutare magistrate, Mr Langton Mkwengi.
While testifying before the court, the minor said she consented to Kawadza’s love proposal and the two went on to sleep together on four different occasions, two times in his office, one at the school grounds and the other time at the mission school’s guest house where Kawadza was staying after fire gutted his official residence at the United Methodist-run school.
The court heard that the sexual escapades came after the headmaster proposed love to the minor and she agreed.
She confirmed that she was indeed given $40 bribe to implicate a teacher at the high school, Mr William Mukwindidza after the case surfaced following her visits to the hospital for treatment of Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID).
Kawadza, who is answering charges of having sex with a minor as well as infecting her with a sexually transmitted disease, is the first accused, while Fairfield Children’s Home staffer, Cecilia Thobani is the second accused for the role she allegedly played in facilitating the abuse of the minor.
Kawadza is being represented by Mr Victor Chinzamba of Mugadza, Chinzamba and Partners, while Thobani is represented by Mr Ranga Muhloro-Mubata of Mubata, Chigadza and Associates.
When the case was brought into public domain, Hartzell High School senior teacher, Mr Mukwindidza was named as the accused.
However, in an intriguing twist of events, Kawadza was later arrested, amid stunning revelations that the school head was the one who allegedly abused the minor.
Online Reporter