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Thubelihle Mabhena Court Reporter
A septuagenarian from Bulawayo’s Thorngrove suburb allegedly raped his neighbour’s 14-year-old daughter and gave her R2 to buy her silence, a magistrate has heard.Maphosa Moka, 71, of Burombo Hostels, also threatened to kill the Form Two pupil if she dared tell anyone, Bulawayo provincial magistrate Sibongile Msipa- Marondedze was told.

Moka was not asked to plead when he appeared on Saturday before Msipa-Marondedze facing a charge of rape. He was remanded in custody to Tuesday next week.

Prosecuting, Charles Danda said that at around 5PM the girl was at home at her parents’ Burombo Hostel flat on Tuesday last week when she came out of the door and spotted Moka sitting outside.

“She opened the door intending to go to collect her sisters outside and Moka was sitting in front of the door,” said Danda.

He said the victim was walking along the corridor on her way outside when Moka grabbed her with both hands, dragged her into his room and locked his door.

Danda said Moka switched off the lights and hurled the girl onto his bed.

He said the septuagenarian demanded that the girl remove her clothes but she refused.

Danda said Moka forcibly removed her skirt and panties before he also undressed completely and went on to rape her once.

He said the elderly man did not wear a condom when he committed the alleged crime.

The girl screamed for help but no one could hear her as Moka’s room does not have windows, said Danda.

The court heard that after raping the pupil, Moka gave her R2 and threatened to kill her if she ever old anyone about the matter.

Danda said Moka ordered her to wear her clothes and opened the door, checked if anyone was outside then told the girl to leave his room.

The matter came to light when a female  neighbour, identified only as Mapurisa told the girl’s grandmother that her four-year-old daughter told her she spotted the complainant entering Moka’s apartment, said Danda.

The court heard that the grandmother quizzed Moka and he confessed to raping her granddaughter and giving her R2.

On Wednesday, she reported the matter at Mzilikazi Police Station, leading to his arrest.

The pupil was taken to Mpilo Central Hospital for a medical examination whose results confirmed that the girl had been raped.