A man from Monyoroka village, Triangle landed himself in trouble with the law after he bedded his girlfriend for two weeks before paying lobola/roora.
Bismack Zhou (25) appeared before Chiredzi Regional Magistrate Judith Zuyu facing rape allegations after his girlfriend reported him for having sexual intercourse with her before paying lobola to her parents.
It is in the State’s case that on September 11, 2020, the accused invited the complainant to his house for formal introductions to his siblings.
After dinner, the accused locked the complainant in his room and declared that they had been officially married as husband and wife without the accused’s consent.
The court heard that the accused went on to have sexual intercourse with the complainant without her consent while his brothers were on guard.
The accused’s sister would accompany the complainant to the toilet whenever she felt like relieving herself so as to prevent her from escaping.
They stayed together having sexual intercourse several times from September 11 until the accused managed to run away on September 26, 2020.
In his defense, the accused said on September 05, 2020, he went to his girlfriend’s place (complainant) and told her that he wanted to marry her and she agreed. He said they proceeded to his homestead and stayed together until September 26, 2020, when she ran away from his house.
When the accused phoned the complainant asking about her whereabouts, she told the accused that he must pay lobola first to her parents so that they could stay together formally.
The accused said he had no money during that time and that is why the complainant made a police report and filed a rape case.
It is reported that Zhou later went to the complainant’s parents to discuss compensation and he produced only an identity card saying he had no money.
According to reports, the case was moved to a later date for trial continuation.
