adminMarvelous Moyo Gwanda Correspondent
A MAN from Gwanda allegedly indecently assaulted and attempted to rape a juvenile for rejecting his love proposal. Muchala Muleya, 20, employed as a groundsman at a homestead in the area under Chief Mathema, was remanded in custody to September 15 this year by magistrate Sheila Nazombe. He was not asked to plead as he indicated that he preferred using the Tonga language which court interpreters in Gwanda are not conversant with.
The prosecutor, Maxwell Machokoto, told the court that on September 6 at around 5PM, the victim, a 14-year-old girl, was on her way home from a bush where she was fetching firewood together with her elder sister, 17, and another girl. The girl met Muleya and he allegedly proposed love to her but she turned him down.
“The accused person started fondling the complainant’s breasts. Upon seeing this, the juvenile’s sister tried to stop him,” Machokoto said. “The accused person then turned to the juvenile’s sister and started assaulting her using clenched fists on the mouth several times and she fell down. “The accused person then sat on top of the younger girl and started pulling down her skirt trying to remove it and as a result tore the skirt,” Machokoto said.
The older girl rushed back to the scene and helped rescue her sister.
The matter was reported to the police leading to Muleya’s arrest and the assaulted girl was referred to Gwanda Provincial Hospital for medical attention.
Bunjiwe Mkwananzi