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Lindani Dube Hwange Court Correspondent
A BINGA man allegedly raped a 15-year-old girl twice after giving her $10.
Zwelitsha Tshuma, 32, from Chikandakubi village pleaded not guilty before Hwange regional magistrate Dambudzo Malunga and was remanded out of custody to Wednesday.

Prosecutor Tawanda Sigauke told how sometime in November 2012 Tshuma proposed love to the girl and she accepted.

He then gave her $10 and after a month he met her along a path from school and demanded sex as payment.

“Tshuma took her to a bush, removed her clothing and raped her once. Again in November 2012, he met her as she came from school and told her she had to finish paying back his $10 through sexual intercourse,” said Sigauke.

He said Tshuma raped the juvenile knowing well she could not pay him the money he demanded.

The girl was taken to hospital for medical examination.

Tshuma claims to have proposed love to the girl.

“I intended to wait until she finished school to marry her as my second wife,” said Tshuma.

State witness Constable Tariroyaishe Mutize, 27, a victim friendly unit officer in Binga, said the matter came to light when he acted on reports that the girl had been raped.

“I heard rumours in the community that a girl had been raped by Tshuma. I followed up on the lead and she told me what had happened and we conducted an investigation into the matter,” said Mutize.

Court documents reveal that Tshuma claimed he later learnt that she was in love with one Darlington Ncube and that he could be the offender.

Tonderai Mukuku of Marondedze, Mukuku and Partners represented him.