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Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Gwanda Correspondent
A 26-YEAR-OLD miner has been arrested for allegedly raping a 62-year-old woman after she turned down his love proposal.

Proud Ndebele who works at a mine in Sun Yet Sen was not asked to plead when he appeared before Gwanda magistrate, Miss Lerato Nyathi facing a rape charge. He was remanded in custody to August 27 for trial.

Prosecuting, Mr Silent Shoko said Ndebele met the elderly woman while she was on her way home on May 30 and proposed love to her.

“On 30 May at around 6PM the complainant was on her way home from Sun Yet Sen Business Centre in Kezi when she met Ndebele. He proposed love to the complainant and she turned him down. The complainant left the accused person standing along the footpath and she proceeded home,” he said.

“On the same night at around 7PM Ndebele arrived at the complainant’s place of residence and found her cooking in her kitchen hut. He approached the complainant and requested to have sexual intercourse with her but she refused and ordered Ndebele to leave her homestead. This didn’t go down well with Ndebele who then slapped the complainant several times on her face and threatened to kill her if she didn’t give in to his demands.”

Mr Shoko said Ndebele then ordered the complainant to lie down on the kitchen floor and he raped her.

“During the process the complainant tried to fight off the accused person by scratching him on the face but he did not stop and instead burnt the complainant with a piece of firewood,” he said.

After committing the crime, Ndebele fled and the complainant went to inform her neighbour.

The matter was reported to the police leading to the arrest of the accused person. – @DubeMatutu