adminFaith Mabuto Midlands Reporter
THE High Court has granted bail to a Gweru businessman who allegedly kidnapped, drugged and sodomised two primary school boys aged 11 and 12 years. Smile Madhaka, 34, of Mkoba 19 suburb, a cattle buyer who owns a bar in the Midlands capital, allegedly picked the boys from school and abused them for a period of three months.
Madhaka, through his lawyer Tatenda Zishiri of Garikai and Partners Legal Practitioners in Gweru, had previously applied for bail from magistrate Judith Taruvinga but prosecutors opposed the application.
The High Court finally granted Madhaka $200 bail.
Senior magistrate Tavengwa Chibanda yesterday remanded him out of custody to August 4.
The families of the two boys said they were disgruntled by the court’s decision to grant Madhaka bail.
For the State, Daniel Tafuma told the court that sometime in April this year, Madhaka who has a bar at Mkoba 1 Shopping Centre popularly known as Makanda Shopping Centre, which is close to Bumburwi Primary School, went to the school where he met the two boys.
He said Madhaka offered the boys a lift.
“Inside his vehicle, he offered them bread and drinks. After consuming the food which could have been laced with a drug, the boys fell unconscious,” said Tafuma.
He said after some time the boys gained consciousness after waking up in Mkoba 3 near the Salvation Army Church.
Tafuma told the court that the boys had been dumped there by Madhaka.
“When the boys woke up, they realised that they were near the Salvation Army Church and that their pants were wet,” said Tapfuma.
He said before he dumped them, Madhaka told the boys that he was going to pick them up at Mkoba Police Station bus stop on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from April to June 26 this year.
Tafuma said Madhaka would intoxicate the boys’ food and drinks before sodomising them.
He said he also gave them $5 to share.
Tafuma said the matter came to light after the boys’ parents reported the assult to the police, leading to Madhaka’s arrest.
Online Reporter