Teacher 'Rapes' Form 4 Pupil

A TEACHER at St Sebastian Secondary School in Matobo District allegedly lured his Form 4 pupil with a cellphone to his cottage before raping her.

Honest Runzirayi Dhliwayo, 29, of Tsholotsho under Chief Magama who teaches History at the school in the Sigangatsha area of Sun Yet Sen pleaded not guilty to rape through his lawyer Gift Nyathi when he appeared before Gwanda regional magistrate Joseph Mabeza.

The 16-year-old teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told the court that Dhliwayo gave her his cellphone claiming that someone would phone her.

Teacher 'Rapes' Form 4 Pupil

"It was around 7PM when he brought his cellphone to me claiming that my friend wanted to talk to me. I waited and waited but nobody phoned and I decided to return the cellphone at around 9PM but the accused said I should wait and return it later," she said.

"I took the cellphone back with me, waited again but to no avail. When I returned the cellphone it was after 10PM. He grabbed ray hand, undressed me and then tried to rape me. He had to release me because I was feeling so much pain since I'm still a v.irgin."

The girl said all that happened while they were both standing.

However, in defending his client, lawyer Nyathi said it was impossible for Dhliwayo to rape the girl while they were both standing.

"I put it to you that it's not possible that accused raped you while you were both in a standing position because he's taller than you," said Nyathi. The girl maintained that it was possible since it happened.

The girl's English teacher, Riabetsoe Nyathi, said the girl only told her that Dhliwayo had fondled her and had said nothing about the rape.

However, the school's headmaster, John Dube, said: "From the report I deduced that something close to a sexual encounter could have happened because she indicated that he undressed her, which is why we reported the matter to the police."

Prosecuting, Mncedisi Dube said the incident happened on July 12, 2015, at around 1030PM when the pupil went to Dhliwayo's cottage to give him back his cellphone.

Dhliwayo allegedly took the girl to the back of the cottage, proposed love and started undressing the girl and later raped her.

"The complainant felt some pain and told accused to stop what he was doing and he withdrew his manhood and apologised to the complainant for what he had done," the court heard.

On the following day, the girl narrated the incident to her English teacher.

Dhliwayo, however, said that when the girl brought back the cellphone, he took it and retired to bed.

He was remanded out of custody and the trial continues on December 1.
Source: Chronicle