Online Reporter
Yeukai Karengezeka
Court Correspondent
A 63-year-old Harare man has appeared in court facing three counts of rape involving minor girls who had visited his residence on separate occasions.
Lengton Matereke was remanded in custody when he appeared before Harare Magistrate Mrs Marehwanazvo Gofa.
He was advised to approach the High Court for bail. Matereke is expected back in court on March 13.
The allegations stem from incidents dating back to 2020, with the complainants being all underage girls who were reportedly lured into Matereke’s one-roomed home in Epworth, where the alleged abuse occurred.
On the first incident, the State said the first complainant, now 16 years old, claims that she was raped by Matereke when she was just 12.
Sometime in 2020, she and her friend, also a juvenile, visited Matereke’s home with a pair of trousers they wanted him to repair.
Upon entering his one-roomed house, which is divided by a curtain, Matereke allegedly closed the door and went behind the curtain with the complainant’s friend.
Moments later, the complainant’s friend reportedly called her to join them.
It is said Matereke first sexually assaulted the complainant’s friend before turning his attention to her.
Matereke pushed the complainant onto the bed and forcibly raped her without protection as her friend watched.
After the assault, Matereke opened the door and the girls left. They didn’t report the incident at the time.
The complainant said she was sexually assaulted again by Matereke on January 21, 2025.
She and her friend had gone to Matereke’s home to buy vegetables.
Once inside, Matereke allegedly closed the door, wore a condom, and raped the complainant’s friend in the presence of the complainant.
Afterwards, he reportedly tried to rape the complainant by pushing her onto the bed but failed to do so.
Matereke eventually opened the door, allowing her to leave, while the complainant’s friend remained behind.
The complainant did not report the incident immediately.
The third complainant, aged 14, said Matereke raped her in January 2025 at his house.
Matereke reportedly closed the door and began caressing the complainant’s private parts in full view of her aunt. He then pushed her onto the bed and raped her without protection.
Following the assault, the complainant reportedly went home and informed her sister that she was bleeding.
The sister initially assumed that it was her first menstrual cycle.
The alleged abuse came to light when the complainant told her mother about the incident. She also revealed that her aunt had witnessed the assault.
The other two complainants then disclosed that Matereke had raped them as well.
