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Admore Mbonda in Kariba

A KARIBA man is on the run after allegedly raping his girlfriend’s 12-year-old daughter who had been sent by the mother to collect a drink from him.

Mostafu Chande (32) allegedly visited the minor’s mother as she was not feeling well.

Chande’s lover reportedly asked for something cold to soothe her throat and he offered to buy her a soft drink and asked the minor to accompany him to his house as he wanted to collect an empty bottle.

He then sent the minor to a nearby tuckshop to buy the drink but she found it closed and came back home to notify him of the development.

She found him outside before he told her to take the empty bottle on top of the fridge inside the house.

Chande allegedly followed into the house before closing the door and pushing her to the bed, covering her face with a pillow and raping her while the radio was playing at high volume.

Officer Commanding police Kariba District, Chief Superintendent Christopher Ngulube confirmed the incident, which occurred on the evening of January 1, 2020.

“As police we can confirm receiving a report of rape involving a minor in Nyamhunga suburb. The alleged perpetrator, one Mostafu Chande aged (32) is now on the run and wanted by the police,” he said.

“We would like to urge parents to look after their children especially the girl child and not leave them in the care of male adults. The mother should not have sent a minor at such a time.”

He said preliminary investigations show that the mother was in a love relationship with Chande.

After committing the crime, Chande allegedly gave her ZWL$20 before ordering her not to tell anyone.

The matter came to light after a neighbour who had come to visit the sick mother noticed that she was crying out of pain, could not walk properly and asked her what had happened.

She revealed what had happened and the matter was reported to the police.

Realising that the matter had come to light, Chande disappeared and is now wanted by the police.

A girl child activist Mrs Ellen Vhengere said the mother should not have exposed the child to leave them in the care of a man at night as girls were vulnerable to abuse.