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Noleen Makhurane Court Reporter
A BULAWAYO man allegedly raped and impregnated a 17-year-old girl who he also infected with HIV as payment for paying her bus fare from Binga.

Brian Dlamini, 27, appeared before Magistrate Sibongile Msipha Marondedze facing a rape charge.

The magistrate did not ask Dlamini to plead and remanded him in custody to November 2.

Prosecuting Mufaro Mageza said on May 10, this year the victim came from Binga after her uncle arranged with Dlamini to pick her up at Entumbane bus terminus and pay her bus fare from Binga.

The court heard that the girl’s uncle instructed Dlamini to take her to his house in Old Lobengula.

Dlamini instead took the girl to his house in Entumbane where he left her claiming to be going to church and returned at night.

Mageza said Dlamini told the girl that he was going to take her to her uncle’s house the following day.

He said Dlamini told the girl she would sleep on the floor while he slept on the bed.

“During the night he asked to be intimate with the girl saying it was compensation for paying her bus fare. The girl refused and he assaulted her with an electric cord and she ran away to the tenants’ room,” said Mageza.

The prosecutor said the girl just stood in the tenants’ room but could not report the assault.

She later returned to Dlamini’s room.

Said Mageza: “Dlamini raped the girl and took her to the uncle’s house the next day. The rape came to light when the tenants told the girl’s mother that they had heard her screaming and suspected she was being raped.”

The court heard that the girl’s mother confronted her daughter who confirmed she had been raped.

The mother reported the matter to the police leading to Dlamini’s arrest.

The state produced a medical report, which confirms the girl is pregnant and that she is also HIV positive.