The Muposhiwa Village under Chief Nhema, Shurugwi, was this week left shell-shocked as a shocking case of incest sent tongues wagging and condemnation in the mining community.
Melusi Nzira (31) and his niece, Ropafadzo Saratiyeri (21), stood before Shirugwi Magistrate Sithabile Zungula on Monday, accused of a crime that has left many questioning the very fabric of family bonds.
The charges, laid under section 75 of the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act Chapter 9.23, allege that Nzira and Saratiyeri engaged in sexual intercourse, a prohibited act due to their familial relationship. The State alleges that the illicit relationship took place between April and August 2023, with the two engaging in consensual acts despite their awareness of the nature of their relationship.
The details of the case, as presented by the State, paint a disturbing picture of a relationship that defied all norms of decency. “On an unknown date between April and August 2023, the two had consensual sexual intercourse several times knowing the degree of their relationship,” the prosecution stated, highlighting the gravity of the alleged crime.
The court heard that the couple’s relationship came to light when Nzira’s younger brother, who serves as the complainant in the case, attempted to intervene. “I advised them against the relationship,” the brother told the court, his voice laced with a mixture of sadness and anger. “But my words fell on deaf ears.”
The couple’s defiance and their subsequent decision to live together as husband and wife, despite the familial ties, further exacerbated the situation. “They returned to the village in July 2024 and stayed as husband and wife,” the prosecution revealed, emphasizing the brazenness of their actions.
The couple’s attempt to flee to Kwekwe, culminating in their arrest at Tongogara Business Centre, only served to amplify the sense of shock and outrage within the community. The news of their arrest spread like wildfire, becoming the hot topic across Chief Nhema’s area and beyond.
In their defence, Nzira and Saratiyeri claimed that they were unaware of their familial relationship. “We did not know that we were related,” they asserted, attempting to distance themselves from the gravity of their actions.
Nzira and Saratiyeri were released on free bail and remanded to July 29, 2024. The case will continue, leaving the community of Muposhiwa Village grappling with the aftermath of this shocking revelation.
Last week, another chilling case of incest left villagers in Chimanimani grappling with the disturbing incident within a family. The case, which unfolded in a Mutare Magistrates Court, involved a 30-year-old man and his 17-year-old aunt, who were charged with sexual intercourse within the prohibited degrees of relationship, a crime punishable under Zimbabwean law.
