A former Masvingo Province Minister of State has been remanded in custody after being arrested on rape allegations involving a 12-year-old.
Kudakwashe Bhasikiti was advised to apply for bail at the High Court after being arrested, accused of raping 12-year-old girl at an orphanage that he operated in Mwenezi.
Bhasikiti (60), who served as Minister of State from 2013 until his expulsion from Government and Zanu PF in December 2014, appeared before Mwenezi magistrate, Faina Makumbe.
He was remanded in custody to December 29.
The former Mwenezi East legislator would be transferred to Chiredzi Remand Prison as his case would now be heard at the Chiredzi Regional Court.
Appearing for the State, prosecutor Hardlife Machando told the court that sometime in 2019, Bhasikiti went into a room at the orphanage and allegedly approached the complainant and gagged her mouth with one of his hands.
He then allegedly raped her once and threatened unspecified action if she told anyone.
The matter was allegedly swept under the carpet and only came to light after police received a tip-off sometime this year.
Investigations led to Bhasikiti’s arrest by police from Mwenezi Police Station.
