By Nqobile Tshili
A man who impersonated a police officer has been arrested for allegedly raping a prostitute he had hired for sex at a Bulawayo hotel.
Desire Siaponda (30) allegedly hired the services of a prostitute (name withheld for ethical reasons) at Manor Hotel on Wednesday last week and raped her in a secluded area near Thorngrove suburb on the same night.
Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube confirmed the incident yesterday.
He said the accused person impersonated a cop as he lured the woman.
“We have arrested a 30-year-old man who allegedly raped a sex worker in Bulawayo. The man who comes from Binga is said to have approached the sex worker at a local hotel who charged him US$10 for sexual services for the whole night.
“The suspect claimed he was a cop and lived at Ross Camp where he claimed he wanted to take his victim for the night. But upon approaching the police camp gate, alert cops demanded that the pair produce a camp pass which they did not have,” said Insp Ncube.
“The suspect then told the lady that there was another gate which they could use located near the Zupco depot. When they approached the gate, they found it locked and he changed his statement and said he wanted to collect his laptop at the nearby Thorngrove suburb. As they walked to the suburb the accused raped the woman at a secluded place and disappeared into the darkness.”
He said his victim reported the matter to the police.
Insp Ncube said the suspect was arrested on Saturday at the same hotel.
“His victim spotted him at the same hotel and reported the matter to security officials who detained him while waiting for police officers. He was then arrested and is expected to appear in court in due course,” he said. The Chronicle
