HARARE - Four men who allegedly robbed, raped and assaulted an Epworth woman have appeared before the courts.

Dennis Jimson Mugabe, 38, Denzel Chiwara, 21, Tinashe Takudzwa Chitando, 23, and Last Zava, 28, appeared before regional magistrate Simon Rogers Kachambwa facing robbery, rape and indecent assault charges.

The court heard during the night of September 17 this year, the complainant was awaken by a noise which she heard outside her house. She went out suspecting that it was her husband who was fighting with somebody.

While outside, the woman allegedly started calling her husband’s name going towards the source of the noise where she saw Mugabe and his accomplices in the company of two women who are still at large.

According to state papers, Mugabe asked the woman where she was going and ordered her to stop. Mugabe and his accomplices allegedly caught the woman and started assaulting her forcing her to lie down.

The gang force-marched the woman into her house where they gagged her and stole her property.

According to state papers, Mugabe later took the woman a distance from the house, where he left her with two of his accomplices.

Mugabe allegedly removed the woman’s under garments and started fondling her before Chiwara raped her.
When he had finished, the woman managed to escape and ran home where she found Mugabe’s accomplices looting the house.

She shouted for help and Mugabe and his crew ran away.

After a few minutes, a vehicle arrived to collect the loot and drove away fast.

The woman then filed a police report leading to their arrest.  - Ivan Zhakata