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Lovemore Kadzura
Rusape Correspondent
A RUSAPE teacher who would sneak into an underage school pupil’s room and abuse her while her grandmother would be sleeping in the next room was recently arrested and appeared in court facing charges of sleeping with a minor.
Phineas Chimhowa (43), a teacher at Chingono Primary School, was represented by Mr Walter Mangwende of Chigadza and Associates.
He was not asked to plead when he appeared before Rusape magistrate, Ms Annie Ndiraya.
He was granted $15 000 bail.
Prosecuting, Mr Innocent Mwoyowaonda said Chimhowa gave the Form Two girl contraceptive pills and abused her on several occasions.
“Chimhowa is the complainant’s former Grade Seven teacher. On a date unknown to the prosecutor, but during the month of January 2021, Chimhowa introduced online lessons to school children and the complainant started using her grandmother’s cellphone for those lessons.
“In April 2021, Chimhowa started proposing love to the complainant through WhatsApp and the juvenile accepted the proposal in May 2021. In August 2021, Chimhowa sent a message via WhatsApp indicating that he wanted to see the complainant at their homestead. The complainant agreed and told Chimhowa that she was leaving the dining room unlocked so that he could enter and proceed straight to her room. The two were intimate on several occasions,” said Mr Mwoyowaonda.
It is alleged that during the same month, Chimhowa brought the juvenile some contraceptives pills and told her to take a single tablet each day to prevent pregnancy.
On December 12, Chimhowa allegedly took the complainant to his house at the school and slept with her again.
“ln January, the complainant’s aunt found some contraceptive pills in her bedroom. She was confronted over the issue and ended up spilling the beans.
“A police report was made, leading to Chimhowa’s arrest,” Mr Mwoyowaonda told the court.
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