(Last Updated on January 26, 2016 by Editor)
ZIMBABWE – The trial of an MDC-T district chairperson accused of sodomising an 11-year-old boy after dragging him into his house, continued yesterday with the member claiming that the charges levelled against him were politically motivated and trumped up.
This was heard before Chitungwiza regional magistrate Ms Estere Chivasa with the 74-year-old man denying aggravated indecent assault charges.
Through his lawyer, Mr Albert Nyikadzino of Nyikadzino, Simango and Associates, he said, “Accused will state that the allegations against him are politically motivated and are trumped up. He is a member of MDC-T and is the district chairperson for Toitonga branch.
“Accused and fellow MDC-T members have been operating a car park known as Gutsaruzhinji, since 1996. He will state that there has always been severe friction between himself and Zanu-PF members who allege that MDC-T members should not operate the car park in question,” he said.
However, during trial, the friend to the complainant, aged (10) told the court how the man would approach them while playing and took the complainant to his house.
“I am in Grade 5, and we stay in the same neighbourhood with the accused. What I know is that he ‘raped’ my friend (complainant) when he used to take my friend and stay with him at his house.
“When my friend returned from the man’s house, he would complain of being tired and always slept. On January 10, my friend told me the accused had a habit of sexually assaulting him,” said the boy.
The boy said every time the man abused his friend, they would try to seize him from the man but he instructed them that the victim was his grandchild.
“He would lift him or carry him on his back and took him to his house and on the day in question he took him at around 3.30pm and we saw him at 4pm,” he said.
Ms Chivasa remanded the man to Friday for trial continuation.
The prosecutor Mr Loveti Muringwa told the court that the incident assault occurred on January 10 when the boy went to play with his friends near the man’s house.
It is alleged that the man came and grabbed the boy’s hand and dragged him inside his house where he sexually assaulted him ordering him to remain silent.