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Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter
A MAN from Hwange will regret the day he proposed love to a 12-year-old girl after he was jailed for twelve-years for raping her.

Thabani Nkomazana (21) had consensual sex on two occasions in the bush with his juvenile sweetheart, but was arrested for rape after the girl’s twin sister informed their mother about the affair.

Nkomazana pleaded not guilty to two counts of rape when he appeared before Hwange regional magistrate Mrs Dambudzo Malunga, saying he never had sex with the girl.

He later admitted to having sexual intercourse with her saying she was his girlfriend and the sex was consensual.

“I have been lying to this court that I never had sex with the complainant. Indeed we had sex because she is my girlfriend and I want to apologise. I am truly sorry,” said Nkomazana after being told he was guilty.

Mrs Malunga slapped him with a 12-year jail term.

The magistrate suspended two years for five years on condition of good behaviour.

Nkomazana proposed love to the girl on October 30 last year and went on to have sex with her on two occasions. “On October 30, the accused proposed love to the complainant and she accepted. Three days later they met near Nkomazana’s farm where the accused asked to have sex and the complainant agreed. They had sexual intercourse once with consent,” said the prosecutor, Mr Bheki Tshabalala.

He said after having sex, the girl went home and told no-one about it.

Again on November 12, the court was told, the two lovebirds met in the bush and had consensual sex.

The matter came to light when the girl confided in her twin sister who had noticed blood stains on her privates. The twin sister informed their mother who reported a case of rape to the police after questioning her daughter.

@ncubeleon