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Mashudu Netsianda Senior Court Reporter
A TEENAGER from Insuza allegedly tied up his 63-year-old neighbour and raped her. Mqhelisi Sibanda, 19, of Masayi village appeared yesterday before Bulawayo regional magistrate Mark Dzira charged with rape.

The victim told the court that Sibanda followed her to the bush where she was collecting wild fruits and fetching firewood.

“This boy (Sibanda) is disrespectful. He actually followed me to the bush where I had gone to collect wild fruits and fetch firewood. He confronted me and demanded to have sex with me and when I refused he grabbed my hand and pushed me to the ground. He then firmly tied my hands and neck with a string and raped me,” said the woman.

Sibanda, in his defence through his lawyer, Cedrick Dube, said the allegations stemmed from a dispute between his mother and the alleged victim over a dish which was allegedly found at the old woman’s home. The dish belonged to Sibanda’s mother.

“The rape allegations only surfaced two weeks after the woman, who is my neighbour, was confronted by my mother over a dish which was found at her home. She just wants to fix me because of that and I believe the accusations are an afterthought. I didn’t rape her at all,” said Sibanda.

The trial continues.