A Rusape man, Collins Mudzigwa,24, is up for rape, after being caught red-handed raping an under-age girl in the bush.
The court head the incident occurred on the 1st August and Mudzingwa, last week pleaded saying she was his girlfriend.
Mudzingwa spotted the girl walking nearby pentecostal church at around 1600hrs on the day and took advantage of her.
Rusape Area prosecutor Mr Tirivanhu Mutyasira told the court that Mudzingwa waylaid the 13 year old girl into a bushy area close to the Flyover along Wedza Highway where he raped her at around 4pm.
It is the State’s case that the complainant was on her way to church when she met Mudzingwa.
He allegedly asked the complainant to accompany him to his residence but she refused and he forced himself on her, the Prosecutor said.
Mudzingwa was on Monday last week sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Mudzingwa of Vengere village who was not represented and denies the offence, will however serve 12 effective years after Rusape regional magistrate Mr Livingstone Chipadza suspended 3 years.