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Thandeka Moyo Court Reporter
THE trial of a National University of Science and Technology final year student who allegedly assaulted and locked his girlfriend in a room for three days started yesterday at the regional court.

Tafadzwa Nhambure, 23, pleaded not guilty to both assault and kidnapping charges before senior regional magistrate Mark Dzira.

Nhambure’s trial comes a week after he approached the civil court applying for a peace order against his ex-girlfriend Ratidzaishe Mupinga, 23, of Selbourne Park suburb.

Nhambure sought an order to stop Mupinga from interfering with his life and to bar her from making false reports to the police against him.

The magistrate granted the order for Mupinga not to interfere with Nhambure’s life, but said she could not bar her from making a report to the police.

In her testimony yesterday, Mupinga said Nhambure visited her room in Selbourne Park suburb on September 16, last year. He assaulted and detained her in her room for three days when she decided to end their relationship.

“We were having a normal conversation while I was going through his phone and tablet and I bumped onto numerous pictures of him and another girl. I asked him who the girl was and he became jittery and that led to a misunderstanding,” she said.

She said as a result, she asked Nhambure to leave her room as she had decided to break up with him.

“He told me that he wasn’t going anywhere and I stood up, packed his laptop, phone and tablet away and took them outside. He followed and took them in again and assaulted me using his hands and legs” she said.

Mupinga said she managed to free herself after she bit his foot, stormed out of the house and headed towards Beitbridge Road.

“He followed me running and I was picked up by Nkululeko Ndlovu whom I asked to escort me to the police station. Nhambure caught up with me and got into the same car and we went back to my room as Ndlovu had suggested that I put on shoes and change clothes since my clothes were blood stained,” she added.

She said Nhambure later locked her inside her room for three days and released her when he realised that she was not recovering from the assault.

“On September 19, he released me and we went to United Bulawayo Hospitals. I could barely talk then as he had assaulted me again during my detention and he was the one who lied to nurses saying I had fallen and hurt myself,” she added.

Nhambure was represented by Costa Ncube from Mcijo Dube and Partners.

The State case led by Tinashe Dzipe is that in September last year, Mupinga assaulted his ex-girlfriend as they wrestled for door keys when they had a misunderstanding.

He then locked her in her room and dispossessed her of her phone for the three days.

She was given a bucket to use when answering to the call of nature.

The court heard that when he realised that Mupinga was not recovering, he hired a taxi and threatened her with death if she revealed the assault and the detention to anyone.

She divulged her ordeal to health personnel, leading to his arrest.