×
NewsDay

AMH is an independent media house free from political ties or outside influence. We have four newspapers: The Zimbabwe Independent, a business weekly published every Friday, The Standard, a weekly published every Sunday, and Southern and NewsDay, our daily newspapers. Each has an online edition.

Bogus game ranger in court for rape

News
A man allegedly masqueraded as a game ranger threatened to arrest two girls for fire wood poaching and allegedly raped them.

GOKWE — A man allegedly masqueraded as a game ranger when he found two girls fetching for fire wood at a bush close to Section 4 Extension at Mbizo in Kwekwe and threatened to arrest them for fire wood poaching before dragging them into the bush one after the other and allegedly raped them.

STAFF REPORTER

This was heard by Gokwe resident magistrate Shepard Mjanja on Monday when Barmu Vashiko (29) appeared before a Gokwe Magistrates’ Court facing two counts of rape.

He pleaded not guilty to the charge and the magistrate remanded him in custody to November 26.

The court heard that on February 25, 2009 at 3pm, Vashiko, in the company of Peter Moyo, who is still at large, went into the bush near Section 4 Extension at Mbizo in Kwekwe where they saw two juveniles who are students at Tongogara High School.

They approached them and identified themselves as security guards manning the forestry.

They also told them that they were under arrest for fire wood poaching.

It was the State’s case that the two alleged bogus security guards then tied the two girls with tree barks before force-marching them further into the bush, where they took turns to rape them. It is alleged they raped the two girls while closing their mouths with hands and at the same time threatening to cut their private parts with a machete if they resisted.

During the alleged heinous acts, Vashiko is alleged to have identified himself as Husain or Tinashe, disguising his identity to the girls.

The two rape suspects are alleged to have released the girls after they were satisfied.

The matter was reported to the police leading to the arrest of Vashiko while Peter was still at large.