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Marvelous Moyo Gwanda Correspondent
A GWANDA teacher is facing indecent assault charges after he allegedly fondled his female colleague’s buttocks and threatened to stab her to death.

Opiam Mafu, 53, a senior teacher at Sinkunkwe Primary School admitted to indecent assault and assault charges when he appeared before magistrate Sheila Nazombe.

His plea was altered to not guilty after he indicated that he committed the alleged offences while not in his right senses as he was drunk.

“Your Worship, I don’t want to waste the court’s time, I’ll admit everything the complainant says because on the day in question, I was drunk and I don’t know what exactly happened,” said Mafu.

“On that day I had started drinking beer at around 10AM and later proceeded to school at around 7PM. I don’t know what transpired when I got to school but what I remember is that I saw myself having a misunderstanding with the complainant and insulting each other.”

He said it was not his first time to drink beer but on the day in question he had too much alcohol.

“I was so drunk that I even soiled myself and failed to get to my bedroom. I can’t recall fondling her buttocks,” Mafu said.

He said he encountered family problems as he had recently separated with his wife who took away some property which he said was stressing him.

The female teacher, who cannot be named to protect her identity, told the court that Mafu fondled her buttocks while she was cooking in the school’s kitchen.

The kitchen is used by all the teachers.

She, however, could neither confirm nor deny that Mafu was drunk when the incident occurred.

“I told him I was not happy with his actions but he continued. He said he is always dreaming about me and would one day be tempted to come to my bedroom uninvited,” she said.

She said Mafu later asked for forgiveness but when she indicated that she didn’t want to discuss anything with him, he insulted her using unprintable words.

“He threatened to beat me up while at the same time he was pulling my hair. He also lifted my leg and dragged me closer to the fire,” she said.

She added that she was only saved by another female teacher.

Mafu allegedly turned his attention to the other teacher and his victim managed to run away, but he chased after her and threatened to stab her with a knife when he caught up with her.

“He held the knife close to my face and threatened to kill me. Other teachers tried to reason with him and in the process I managed to free myself and locked myself in my room,” she told the court.

Prosecutor Teererai Mahohoma said the incident happened on July 26 this year and Mafu only let go the female teacher after other teachers begged him to do so as his victim was crying. Mafu was remanded out of custody and the trial continues on August 7.