MDC MP Costa Machingauta up for rape at gunpoint
MDC A MP Costa Machingauta
AN MDC Alliance for Budiriro, Costa Machingauta has been remanded in custody after he appeared in court Friday facing charges of allegedly raping a 25-year-old Harare woman at gunpoint accusing her of stealing his mobile phone.
The incident allegedly occurred on April 4.
He is also facing another charge of pointing a gun at another complainant
Machingauta appeared before Harare Magistrate Barbra Mateko facing two charges of rape and contravening the Firearms Act.
He was not asked to plead and was remanded in custody to April 23 for routine remand.
On the firearms case, he was remanded to May 5.
According to the state, on April 4 this year, Machingauta took the first complainant from her father’s workplace in Mabvuku, Harare accusing her of stealing his cellphone.
It is alleged Machingauta drove into the Harare central business district and parked his vehicle at a popular Chicken Inn outlet located at the corner of Kwame Nkrumah and Julius Nyerere.
He then ordered some of the passengers to disembark and buy food at the outlet leaving him alone with the complainant.
Left alone in the vehicle with the complainant, the state further alleges the MP took a gun which he threatened the complainant with while demanding for sex outside the food outlet.
She allegedly complied to Machingauta’s demands.
It is further alleged Machingauta contravened the Firearms Act when on the same day, he went to another Harare woman’s house who he also suspected of having stolen his cellphone after he offered her a ride on April 3.
On arrival at the house, Machingauta was told the woman she was looking for was not around before he, in fit of range, pointed a gun at the second complainant in violation of the law.
–New Zimbabwe.com
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