A 21-year-old University of Zimbabwe student has been brought before the court accused of r_ping his niece.

The suspect, Terrence Musekiwa, was not asked to plead when he appeared before Harare magistrate Judith Taruvinga who released him on $1000 bail and strongly warned him not to interfere with State witnesses till the matter is finalised.

The court heard that in April this year just after the first 21 days of the national lockdown, Musekiwa and the complainant were at home while her parents were at work and her siblings were playing outside.

Musekiwa reportedly told the complainant to take her books to his bedroom so that she would study under his supervision and when she entered the room, he reportedly told her that he loved her and she kept quiet.

He then pushed her onto the bed and took off her clothes and r_ped her but she didn’t scream because he had told her that he would beat her up if she did, the court heard.

After the incident, he further threatened the complainant that if she confessed ‘to any living soul’ that she had been r_ped, he was going to beat her and that if asked she should say that she had consented to have sexual intercourse with him.

The complainant is said to have gone away and cried but didn’t tell anyone about it and he continued to r_pe her on several occasions.

The court heard that the matter came to light on August 6 when the complainant told her mother that she had v_ginal thrush and when she asked to see it, she confessed that she had been r_ped by Musekiwa leading to his arrest.

Lancelot Mutsokoti appeared for the State.

-State Media