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Sheillah Mapani Herald Reporter
A Harare man, who allegedly raped and infected a juvenile with HIV, was yesterday hauled before a magistrates’ court.

Webster Mhlanga appeared before Harare magistrate Mrs Josephine Sande, facing charges of rape.

He was remanded in custody to September 14.

The prosecutor Mr Sebastian Mutizirwa alleged that sometime last year on an unknown date, the complainant was coming from Stopover Shopping Centre in Epworth, where she had gone to sell vegetables.

On her way home, she met Mhlanga close to Maulana Primary School in the area.

It is alleged that Mhlanga proposed love to her, but she turned him down.

The court heard that Mhlanga got incensed and dragged the complainant into a bushy area, where he pushed her to the ground and raped her.

The complainant screamed for help, but no one came to her rescue.

It is the State’s case that after raping her, Mhlanga threatened her with death if she revealed the matter to anyone.

The complainant kept the matter to herself out of fear. The matter came to light after the complainant became critically ill and her sister took her to a clinic in Epworth, where she was diagnosed with HIV.

She later divulged her ordeal after her sister questioned her.

The matter was reported to the police, leading to Mhlanga’s arrest.