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Tendai Rupapa Senior Court Reporter
What started as a normal day for a Harare woman who works in Msasa turned into a nightmare after she was dragged from behind by a robber while on her way to work and force-marched to a nearby maize field where she was held hostage in the nude.

The 28-year-old woman was forced to undress and her clothes were used to tie her hands and legs and to gag her.

The Harare Magistrates’ Court heard yesterday that the woman was only released at around 4pm after surrendering her mobile phone and laptop. She had been detained from 7am.

She was assaulted all over the body by the assailant who threatened to rape her if she did not yield to his demands.

Joel Magombedze (39) pleaded guilty to kidnapping the woman and robbing her and will be sentenced today.

During the nine-hour ordeal, the court heard that Magombedze moved the woman from one maize field to the other while she was in the nude.

After pleading guilty to the charges, magistrate Mr Milton Serima asked Magombedze why he committed the offence.

He pleaded for the court’s leniency, saying he had a lot on his mind as he had problems at home.

“Handidi kutambisa nguva yedare mhosva handirambe ndakaipara (I do not want to waste the court’s time. I am pleading guilty),” he said.

“I do not know what came over me. I was under a lot of pressure when I committed this offence.”

On January 29, the victim, who works in Msasa was walking along Mutare Road heading towards her workplace around 7am when Magombedze suddenly grabbed her from behind.

He ordered her to surrender her mobile phone after he had forced her to remove the security code.

Magombedze dragged her into a nearby maize field where he ordered her to remove her clothes before tying her using the clothes.

Magombedze later untied her legs and force-marched her to another maize field where he forced her to do press-ups while he was spanking her on the back.

Magombedze then ordered the woman to surrender her laptop or risk being raped.

According to the State papers, Magombedze made the woman play music on her laptop saying that he wanted entertainment.

Magombedze was arrested on Saturday after detectives from CID Homicide received information that he was in Epworth.

He was positively identified by the victim during a police identification parade. Miss Sharon Mashavira prosecuted.