Story by Peter Chivhima
A 51-year-old man from Harare has appeared in Court on allegations of raping his 13-year-old niece.
The name Joseph is associated with a righteous man in the Bible but that is not the case for 51-year-old Joseph Changwesha from Harare who stands accused of raping his 13-year-old niece twice.
The court heard that Changwesha allegedly raped the girl in the absence of his wife, who had gone to work.
It also emerged that Changwesha allegedly repeated the shameful act and threatened to kill the complainant if she disclosed the matter.
It however came to light when the young girl opened up to her parents.
In his initial court appearance this Tuesday, the accused was remanded in custody and advised to approach the High Court for bail.
The government is taking a tough stance against rapists with the new legislation empowering the court to imprison offenders for up to 15 years.
