Zimbabwe Council of Chiefs president and Pan African Parliament chairman, Chief Fortune Charumbira has been  reported for rape. The complainant in the case is Charumbira’s 27-year-old married niece who is a teacher at a school in Masvingo.

The case is being handled by the Masvingo Central Police, under RB 5457646.

Asked to confirm the development, assistant commissioner Paul Nyathi said…

“I am not aware, I am yet to receive a briefing on the matter,” he said.

Charumbira has been serving as President of Pan-African Parliament from 2022 and Zimbabwe Council of Chiefs from 2013.

According to a leaked police memorandum, Charumbira allegedly pestered his victim for sex and inserted his hand in her privates.

Charumbira allegedly called the complainant on 31 March 2023 just before she arrived in Harare from Mutare at around 1 PM.

The complainant was on her way to a school in Mazowe for a debate competition. Upon her arrival in Harare, the traditional leader picked her and they drove to Rainbow Tours Hotel where they had a meeting and lunch in the dining hall. Reads the police memo:

When they were about to leave, the accused person started caressing the complainant on her breasts. He also put his hand in her dress and kissed her without her consent.

The accused person then started comforting the complainant as she told him that she did not want what he was doing.

Accused then gave the complainant his car keys and ordered her to go out of the hotel. He told her that someone would follow her.

When she was walking out of the hotel, she was stopped by a male adult who is unknown to her.

The man, who had a badge inscribed Parliament of Zimbabwe, asked the complainant to give him the
car keys and told her that he had been assigned to drive her to Mazowe.

She was driven to Mazowe by Charumbira’s aide and was dropped off at the school to attend the event.

Police said on 02 April at around 1 PM while still at the school, Charumbira called the woman and said he wanted to meet her at NSSA Building in Harare on the same day.

She then travelled back to Harare using public transport on the same day and met Charumbira in Harare CBD at 2 PM. Reads the memo:

The accused took the complainant to Munomutapa Hotel in Harare CBD in his vehicle.

Upon arrival at Munomutapa Hotel, the accused took the complainant’s cellphone and gave her his car keys.

Accused ordered complainant to follow him into the hotel. Accused went to a lounge in the 18th floor together with the complainant.

They had talks over what the accused did when they were at Rainbow Tours Hotel. They spent about an hour in the lounge.

The complainant stood up intending to leave. When she was at the door leaving, the accused dragged her by her hand back into the lounge.

Accused caressed the complainant’s breasts and kissed her without her consent. After that they then left the hotel.

According to the police, the woman went to Charumbira’s parked car after the incident. He returned her cell phone, and she secretly recorded their conversation.

During the drive to Mazowe, Charumbira persistently questioned the woman about why she refused to kiss him, according to a memo. As they passed Mazowe Dam, Charumbira inserted his left hand into the woman’s thighs and touched her vagina over her pants.

The woman pushed his hand away. Charumbira then left her at a school in Mazowe and returned to Harare. The woman informed her father about the assault over the phone on the same day, and later informed her husband upon his return from South Africa on April 14. T

he next day, the woman reported the incidents to ZRP Masvingo Central in the presence of her husband.