Man beaten to death for proposing love to minor (15)

A 31-year-old man was hauled to court for allegedly killing a man who had proposed love to a 15-year-old girl he stays with.

Obvious Matake(in grey shorts) was not asked to plead when he appeared before Harare magistrate Evelyn Mashavakure.

He was advised to approach the High Court for bail application since he is facing a third schedule offence.

He will be back in court on March 1 pending finalisation of investigations.

It is the State’s case that sometime in December last year, the now deceased proposed love to Rutendo Zinyama, who stays with Matake.

The court heard that Rutendo is the daughter of the deceased’s girlfriend, Mazamanga Elizabeth.

It is alleged that Rutendo told Matake that the deceased had proposed love to her.

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This did not go down well with Matake, who told Rutendo to pretend as if she had accepted his proposal.

It is further alleged that Matake told Rutendo to lure the deceased into her room.

The deceased agreed and entered Rutendo’s room. He started undressing her, and Matake and Tashinga Mhungu, who is still on the run, budged into the room.

It is alleged that Matake and Mhungu accused the man of sleeping with the girl’s mother and her at the same time.

They started assaulting him with sticks and bottles.

It is alleged that they took about two hours to assault the deceased and told him that they wanted to teach him a lesson.

After the long attack, Matake and Mhungu carried the now deceased, who could no longer walk and dumped him at the cemetery.

He was found lying writhing in agony and rushed to hospital.

It is alleged that on January 10, his health deteriorated and he was rushed to the hospital by his wife, but he died upon admission.

Matake fled when he saw the police approaching him for the first time, despite them firing a warning shot.

He was later apprehended and detained.

Matake is an ex-convict and the State submitted that he has an unquenchable thirst to commit crime, hence he should not be granted bail.