The ManicaPost
Abel Zhakata Senior Reporter
A KNIFE welding 26-year-old Nyanga rapist who went on a two-day rampage in the tourist resort area, waylaying unsuspecting females was finally arrested soon after raping a lady of the night in a maize field.
Edmore Mainga of Nyarumvurwa Village 9, under Chief Saunyama was this week arraigned before the courts facing two rape counts. He pleaded guilty to one of the counts which involved a Form Four pupil, but denied raping the sex worker whom he said consented to sleep with him after he had paid for her services.
Mainga appeared before Rusape regional magistrate, Mr Livingstone Chipadza, while District Public Prosecutor, Mr Tirivanhu Mutyasira, prosecuted. On the first count which was committed on March 27 at around 6pm, the court heard that the 16-year-old complainant, who was fetching firewood alone at their garden at Nyarumvurwa Village was suddenly disturbed by Mainga who appeared from a nearby bush.
Mainga pretended to be looking for his stray cattle.
“After a while as the girl was about to go home, the accused person emerged from the bush again and frightened the complainant who quickly ran away crying for help. He gave chase and caught up with her. No-one heard her cries for help. He withdrew a homemade knife and dragged the complainant into the bush,” said Mr Mutyasira.
As he was about to rape the girl, the complainant lied to him that she had left $20 in the garden. The criminal fell for her tricks and he stopped. He told the girl to accompany him to the garden to fetch the money first.
“While at the garden the girl misdirected to the exact location of the money as she was buying time to seek for help. Realising the girl was playing him, the suspect pressed the knife hard on her neck and ordered her back into the bush where he raped her. However, during the act the girl cried loudly and the suspect stopped midway. He threatened to kill her if she ever divulged the ordeal to anyone. The girl went home and reported the matter to her parents who then made a police report,” said Mr Mutyasira.
The following day Mainga went to Matombo Night Club in Nyamhuka on his way from Nyarumvurwa Village where he had raped the Form Four pupil. He pounced on an unsuspecting 43-year -old sex worker who was looking for clients outside the club.
“The complainant passed through a dark place where the suspect was standing. He called the sex worker and she complied. The suspect was charged $10 for a session and he told the complainant that he was comfortable being intimate in his lorry which he had parked at Nyamhuka Rank. They proceeded to the rank, but on arrival the complainant realised that there was no truck at the rank. She became suspicious.
“She told Mainga that she was no longer interested. He suddenly grabbed the sex worker, demanded her cellphone and dragged her to a nearby maize field. He did all this threatening her with the homemade knife,” said Mr Mutyasira.
Before raping her, the sex worker begged him to use protectiion, but he refused and forced himself on her. The sex worker went back to the night club and revealed the incident to her colleague. They bumped into police officers who were on patrol who quickly reacted and arrested Mainga.
He was found in possession of the home made knife which was produced in court as an exhibit. Mainga denied ever raping the prostitute arguing that he had consensual sex with her after paying for the services.
Concerning the knife, he told the court that the weapon was for self defence as he had travelled from Nyarumvurwa Village which is well known for muggers.
