THE trial of a Bulawayo socialite and his friend who allegedly raped a 15-year-old girl after an afternoon of boozing in one of the city’s plush suburbs, opened yesterday.
Mike Marata, 35, and his friend, Bekithemba Maphosa, 29, are facing a rape charge each and their trial kicked off with the victim testifying in camera.
The duo, which is being represented by Prince Butshe Dube of Mcijo, Dube and partners, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The matter was remanded to May 15 for continuation of trial.
Trust Muduma for the State said the victim and her friend arranged with Munyaradzi Chigodo, who is also their friend, to spend the afternoon swimming at a house located along Coghlan Avenue in Kumalo.
Marata, Maphosa and Chigodo stay at the house.
Muduma said Marata and Maphosa picked up the two teenagers in Greenhill suburb and drove to Bradfield shops where the two men bought beer before they proceeded to Kumalo.
Chigodo was not at the house when they arrived home, Muduma said.
The two girls changed into their swimming costumes in one of the bedrooms.
“The girls went for a swim and drank beer during intervals while Marata and Maphosa were playing football. They were also drinking beer,” said Muduma.
The girls later asked to take a shower and went into the bathroom while Marata and Maphosa sat in the lounge.
“After one of the girls had bathed, the two men also got into the bathroom and Maphosa told the girls that he also wanted to bath,” said Muduma.
The court heard that the alleged victim’s friend, who had wrapped a bathing towel around her waist over the swimming costume, left the bathroom.
Maphosa, the court heard, took a bath while the victim who was wearing only her panties and no bra, sat and waited for him to finish.
After Maphosa finished bathing, the victim got into the bath tub and told him to leave as she wanted to bath, but he refused, said Muduma.
Maphosa, the court heard, also jumped into the tub stating that he wanted to bath again.
Marata turned up with a mobile phone and asked to take pictures of the alleged victim, telling her he admired her body and she agreed.
The court heard that after taking the pictures, the victim got into one of the bedrooms to change and the two men followed her. Maphosa, it is alleged, pulled her and forced her on the bed.
“Marata got on top of the victim who pushed him away but he persisted,” said Muduma. He allegedly wore a condom and raped her once. Maphosa also allegedly wore a condom and raped the teenager once after Marata finished.
Marata, the court heard, handed the girl $30 and ordered her not to tell anyone about the sex attack.
The victim’s friend, on-going to check on her, found her sitting on a toilet seat, crying.
She narrated her ordeal.
The friend, said Muduma, helped the victim to get dressed and escorted her out of the house.
Marata met them outside and offered them a lift and dropped them off at the Morningside shops before they finished the journey by walking to the victim’s home nearby.
She told her cousin, who later told her mother, of the alleged gang rape and police were called. Chronicle
Mike Marata, 35, and his friend, Bekithemba Maphosa, 29, are facing a rape charge each and their trial kicked off with the victim testifying in camera.
The duo, which is being represented by Prince Butshe Dube of Mcijo, Dube and partners, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The matter was remanded to May 15 for continuation of trial.
Trust Muduma for the State said the victim and her friend arranged with Munyaradzi Chigodo, who is also their friend, to spend the afternoon swimming at a house located along Coghlan Avenue in Kumalo.
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| Mike Marata, 35, and his friend, Bekithemba Maphosa, 29, are facing a rape charge each and their trial kicked off with the victim testifying in camera. |
Muduma said Marata and Maphosa picked up the two teenagers in Greenhill suburb and drove to Bradfield shops where the two men bought beer before they proceeded to Kumalo.
Chigodo was not at the house when they arrived home, Muduma said.
The two girls changed into their swimming costumes in one of the bedrooms.
“The girls went for a swim and drank beer during intervals while Marata and Maphosa were playing football. They were also drinking beer,” said Muduma.
The girls later asked to take a shower and went into the bathroom while Marata and Maphosa sat in the lounge.
“After one of the girls had bathed, the two men also got into the bathroom and Maphosa told the girls that he also wanted to bath,” said Muduma.
The court heard that the alleged victim’s friend, who had wrapped a bathing towel around her waist over the swimming costume, left the bathroom.
Maphosa, the court heard, took a bath while the victim who was wearing only her panties and no bra, sat and waited for him to finish.
After Maphosa finished bathing, the victim got into the bath tub and told him to leave as she wanted to bath, but he refused, said Muduma.
Maphosa, the court heard, also jumped into the tub stating that he wanted to bath again.
Marata turned up with a mobile phone and asked to take pictures of the alleged victim, telling her he admired her body and she agreed.
The court heard that after taking the pictures, the victim got into one of the bedrooms to change and the two men followed her. Maphosa, it is alleged, pulled her and forced her on the bed.
“Marata got on top of the victim who pushed him away but he persisted,” said Muduma. He allegedly wore a condom and raped her once. Maphosa also allegedly wore a condom and raped the teenager once after Marata finished.
Marata, the court heard, handed the girl $30 and ordered her not to tell anyone about the sex attack.
The victim’s friend, on-going to check on her, found her sitting on a toilet seat, crying.
She narrated her ordeal.
The friend, said Muduma, helped the victim to get dressed and escorted her out of the house.
Marata met them outside and offered them a lift and dropped them off at the Morningside shops before they finished the journey by walking to the victim’s home nearby.
She told her cousin, who later told her mother, of the alleged gang rape and police were called. Chronicle
