Woman accused of making false allegation against police officer as revenge for refusing to marry her after a sleepover
A senior officer of the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has been acquitted of assault charges after a Gweru magistrate ruled that the allegations were not proven beyond reasonable doubt.
The officer, Arnoby Mapera (44), who is stationed at Mkoba Police Camp in Gweru, had been accused of assaulting Ms Benhilda Furusa following what prosecutors described as a dispute linked to suspected infidelity.
The case was heard before Gweru magistrate Blessing Makaripe, who dismissed the charges, finding that the State failed to establish its case. “The allegations levelled against the accused have not been proved beyond reasonable doubt,” the magistrate ruled.
According to court proceedings, the defence argued that the complaint was motivated by anger after Mapera declined to marry the complainant following a personal relationship.
Through his lawyer, Esau Mandipa of Mandipa, Makwara and Chikukwa Legal Practice, Mapera told the court that Furusa once visited his residence for a sleepover but later refused to leave.
“She insisted that she was now my wife,” Mapera said in his defence. He told the court that he chose to leave his home to avoid confrontation, leaving Furusa behind.
Mapera further testified that Furusa repeatedly visited his workplace at Gweru Central Police Station.
“She would frequently visit my workplace at Gweru Central Police Station and embarrass me in front of my colleagues, demanding marriage,” he said.
The court also heard that Furusa allegedly travelled to Mapera’s rural home in Marondera, where she introduced herself to his relatives as his wife.
“She was not welcomed by my relatives and due to frustration over the failed marriage demands, she began threatening me,” Mapera testified. He added that she allegedly threatened to have him dismissed from the police service. After entering a new relationship, he said the harassment intensified.
“I applied for a peace order against her, which was granted. It was after this that she decided to fabricate the assault allegations,” he told the court.
The State, represented by prosecutor Melodious Kavenga, alleged that the assault occurred in October 2025 after the pair disembarked from a commuter omnibus near Mkoba Police Camp.
However, the court noted that the complainant sustained no visible injuries, a factor that weighed significantly in the ruling. Magistrate Makaripe ultimately acquitted Mapera, concluding that the prosecution had not met the required legal threshold for conviction.
