Kwekwe nurse jailed for false rape claim

By Michael Magoronga

A Kwekwe nurse who falsely accused her uncle of rape has been sentenced to 12 months. Kudzai Mushota of Amaveni suburb was convicted on her own plea by Kwekwe magistrate Mr Livard Philemon.

Mushota who was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment, will however serve nine months after Mr Philemon suspended three months on condition of good behaviour.

The nurse told the court that she felt embarrassed that she had been impregnated by a truck driver whom she couldn’t locate hence she chose to make a false rape charge against her uncle.

“My boyfriend is a Zambian truck driver and I don’t know his whereabouts. I decided to accuse my uncle of rape so that I could get sympathy and assistance towards the pregnancy and subsequent birth of the baby,” said Mushota.

It was the state case that sometime last year, Mushota, who is employed at a private surgery as a nurse in the mining town, went to Kwekwe Central Police Station and reported that she had been raped by her uncle.

The matter was referred back to Amaveni Police Station for further investigations.The uncle has been on the run since the charges were laid against him.

On January 3, Mushota was taken to Kwekwe General Hospital for a medical examination and it was discovered that she was 11 weeks pregnant.

She was told to abort since the pregnancy resulted from rape but she refused leading to suspicions on the truthfulness of her allegations.

Mushota was interrogated and she revealed that she had been impregnated by her Zambian truck driver boyfriend and not her uncle as alleged leading to her arrest.

Ms Maggy Ruzive appeared for the State. The Chronicle