A 43-YEAR-OLD Harare man, who allegedly raped a 12-year-old girl and later torched the house where the complainants’ six family members were sleeping, killing four of them in the inferno, appeared in court yesterday facing rape, murder and attempted murder charges.
BY DESMOND CHINGARANDE
The accused, Stephen Manjovha was not asked to plead when he appeared before magistrate, Tilda Mazhande, who remanded him in custody to April 27, pending his indictment to the High Court.
It is the State case that on April 11 this year, Manjovha allegedly met the teenage girl at Pension Farm in Glen View, where she was visiting a relative.
Manjovha allegedly dragged the minor into a nearby bush and raped her once without protection.
After the alleged abuse, Manjovha phoned the victim’s father and threatened to harm him and his family.
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Later in the night, Manjovha proceeded to the family’s home at Churu Farm and set the family’s house on fire with six family members inside.
Four children aged 10, nine, six and one-year nine months were severely burnt and later succumbed to the burns at Harare Central Hospital.
Two other family members are still in hospital.
Sebastian Mutizirwa appeared for the State.