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Walter Mswazie Masvingo Correspondent
A complainant in a rape case on Monday stunned magistrate’s court here after she made a spectacular U-turn and confessed that she was deeply in love with her alleged rapist.

Fortunate Kashiri (28) of Mavhorondiya Village in Zimuto communal lands, who is married, expressed regret for causing the arrest of her lover.

Kashiri, who caused a stir in court after showing high levels of inconsistency in her submission, told regional magistrate Mrs Judith Zuyu that she was madly in love with the accused, Desmond Maronga (34).

She was testifying during the trial in which Karonga was facing charges of raping and assaulting her.

Maronga, who is Kashiri’s neighbour, was also facing charges of stealing from her.

Maronga had denied all the charges levelled against him by Kashiri and told the court that he was in fact in love with his married neighbour.

Through his lawyer Mr Charles Ndlovu of Hwacha and Ndlovu, Maronga produced intimate WhatsApp messages in court, which confirmed the two were lovers.

A cornered Kashiri, who was jittery during trial, then confessed to the court that she was madly in love with the accused.

She made the confession in the presence of her husband who was seated in the gallery.

It also emerged during her cross-examination that Kashiri occasionally brought Maronga food during his brief stay in remand prison after he was arrested for allegedly raping her.

Mr Ndlovu proved through explicit WhatsApp messages that Maronga and Kashiri had a steamy affair starting from 2013 to last year when she later made rape allegations against her lover.

“I was never in love with the accused; sorry we were once in love sometime in 2017,” said Kashiri, who is a mother of two.

“I regret having reported him to the police.”