Regional Magistrate Innocent Bepura acquitted three police officers from Tshitulipasi Police Station in Beitbridge East , Courage Majoni, Jabulani Museba, and Enock Nyamupandu ; of charges related to the alleged rap3 of an 18-year-old woman, which purportedly occurred on separate occasions in June.
The accusations against the officers included claims that Museba forcibly entered a bathroom and assaulted the complainant on June 5, followed by Majoni’s alleged ass@ult on June 8, and Nyamupandu’s reported r@pe on June 13, during which he allegedly threatened the woman with a knife.
The defense, led by attorney Muchihwande Forbes Sithole, argued that the credibility of the complainant’s testimony was severely undermined by inconsistencies and contradictions, including text messages expressing gratitude toward one of the accused after an alleged incident.
Additionally, the complainant’s delayed reporting of the incidents nearly a month after the alleged occurrences raised further questions in the eyes of the court.
The prosecution, represented by Tsitsi Mutukwa, struggled to present a cohesive case that could counter the substantial doubts raised, emphasizing the timeline of the events and the inconsistencies in the victim’s accounts.
Ultimately, Magistrate Bepura deemed the evidence insufficient for conviction, leading to the dismissal of the case that was originally reported to the Western Commonage Police Station in Bulawayo.
