BY HARRIET CHIKANDIWA
A 35-YEAR-OLD man, who went on a raping spree in parts of Harare, yesterday appeared in court charged with robbing and raping three women after allegedly luring them into nearby maize fields.
The suspect, Farai Denga, who is of no fixed abode was not asked to plead when he appeared before magistrate Bianca Makwande who remanded him in custody to November 4, 2019 for possible trial.
It is the State’s contention that sometime in February this year, Denga came across his first victim, a 21-year-old woman, who was selling bananas along Willowvale Road and pretended that he wanted to buy the fruit for his colleagues.
Denga asked the woman to accompany him to where his “colleagues” were doing some plumbing on the pretext that he wanted to buy the bananas for them and the woman agreed. However, Denga allegedly led the woman into a maize field where he robbed her of some cash and raped her once.
On March 20, 2019, Denga is alleged to have approached another woman who was selling doughnuts at Munhenzva complex along Willowvale Road and pretended that he wanted to buy the snack.
Denga allegedly asked his victim to accompany him to his “workplace” near Rugare railway line and the woman agreed. However, Denga is then said to have led the woman through a maize field and raped her once.
He also allegedly robbed her of two cellphones and cash.
Later that month, Denga allegedly pounced on yet another woman who was selling fish in Crowborough suburb.
The State alleges Denga led his victim to a nearby maize field where he pulled out a knife and raped her once.
All his victims reported their abuses to police and when an identification parade was conducted, Denga was fished out as the assailant.
