Khupe’s chairman in court over attempted rape at Harvest House

A 46-year old politician with opposition leader Thokozani Khupe’s MDC-T party has been arraigned before the courts of law for allegedly attempting to rape a female colleague while at Harvest House, the party’s national headquarters located in central Harare.

The accused rapist, Tendai Muchekahanzu who is understood to be an MDC-T chairman, yesterday appeared before Harare magistrate Judith Taruvinga, charged with attempted rape, and was released on $2000 bail.

As part of his bail conditions, Muchekahanzu was ordered not to interfere with witnesses.

It is the state’s case that on 24 October 2020, at around 10pm, the complainant was sleeping in an office at Harvest House with her friend.

After the friend went out, Muchekahanzu is said to have sneaked in wearing boxer shorts.

He allegedly got into the complainant’s blankets and removed his boxer before he started kissing her.

State prosecutor Sebastian Mutizirwa told the court that the shamed opposition figure then turned his victim around before forcibly removing her pants and tights.

When he tried to open her legs and entertain his sexual desires on the unarmed lady, it is reported that Muchekahanzu faltered after the complainant screamed, thereby attracting the attention of other workers housed at the citadel of oppositional politics.

The control of Harvest House has become one of the most intriguing episodes to the dog-eat-dog fight for supremacy between Khupe and her arch-nemesis, Nelson Chamisa of the MDC Alliance.

Zwnews/state media