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City man up for attempted rape

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A BULAWAYO man was on Friday hauled before the courts after he allegedly broke into a house in Selbourne Brook and tried to rape the occupant while her sibling slept nearby.

A BULAWAYO man was on Friday hauled before the courts after he allegedly broke into a house in Selbourne Brook and tried to rape the occupant while her sibling slept nearby.

Report by Khulani Nkabinde

Max Nkiwane (37), of Lockview suburb, appeared before magistrate Witness Mabhaudi on allegations of attempted rape.

Prosecutor Marlvin Nzombe told the court that on the night of April 7, the complainant was awakened by her younger sister, who said she had heard footsteps outside the house.

“The complainant woke up and she heard the accused person calling her name, telling her to open the door as he said it was cold outside,” Nzombe told the court.

“She then recognised the voice as that of the accused, as he had once visited the complainant’s place of residence with his friend.”

The court heard that Nkiwane then tried to forcibly open the door, while the complainant stood behind the door and struck him three times on the door with a plank, demanding to know why he was forcing himself into the house without her permission.

Seeing that she was fighting a losing battle, the complainant asked her younger sister to get up from the bed and help her fight off the accused.

Nkiwane is said to have later grabbed the complainant by her hands and pulled her outside the house indicating that he wanted to have sexual intercourse with her.

“The complainant then screamed and shouted, calling out for her neighbours to come to her rescue,” the court heard. “Realising that there was no response, she instructed her younger sister to go and call one of her neighbours.”

Nkiwane continued pulling the complainant and pushed her to the ground and tried to lie on top of her.

She pushed him away and they tussled on the ground for some minutes, in the process, the accused tore the complainant’s clothes.

“She eventually managed to escape and met one of her neighbours at the gate,” Nzombe said.

“The complainant narrated her ordeal to her neighbours. They tried to search for Nkiwane, but to no avail as he had disappeared into the night.”

The complainant then made a report to the police, leading to Nkiwane’s arrest.

He was remanded in custody to May 23 for trial.