A 39-year-old man from Bloomingdale has been arrested after his girlfriend reported that he raped her during an early-morning visit to her home in Harare.
Tapiwa Chivinge allegedly arrived at the 27-year-old woman’s home at about 5am on Wednesday. He knocked on a window and she opened the door to let him in, believing he may have come to check whether she was alone.
Once inside, Chivinge sat on the bed and began kissing her while demanding sex. She refused. He is accused of forcibly removing her clothes, raping her once without protection and then leaving the room.
The account of the visit describes a familiar relationship turning into an alleged assault in the space of a few minutes. The woman had let Chivinge in, but rejected his demand for sex. The reported sequence is that he continued regardless, forced her to undress and left after the rape.
“The lady was surprised by the early visit and she opened the door assuming that Chivinge wanted to check if she was alone. She reported the rape leading to Chivinge arrest,” said a source.
The case was reported at Dzivarasekwa Police Station under reference RRB 697660. Chivinge was arrested on Wednesday. No further information about a court appearance or the next stage of the case was available in the account of the incident.
Another Harare case reported in February 2025 involved a 62-year-old Borrowdale man, Masimba Chandavengerwa, who was accused of raping his 34-year-old girlfriend at her home in Msasa Park. He had visited her and, according to the account presented in the case, became angry over claims that she was using his money while refusing his demands for sex.
Chandavengerwa allegedly dragged the woman into a bedroom and raped her once without protection. She reported the incident to police, and Harare provincial police spokesperson Inspector Luckmore Chakanza confirmed his arrest. The complainant was taken to Parirenyatwa Hospital for medical examinations. She had been alone at home with her children.
“Police arrested a Borrowdale man for raping his girlfriend,” said Insp Chakanza.
“On that particular occasion, the complainant was alone with the children since her maid had knocked off duty. The accused person forced complainant to the wall and raped her once. The complainant was escorted to Parirenyatwa Hospital for medical examinations,” said Insp Chakanza.
The details differ from the Bloomingdale report, but both accounts describe women who were in relationships with the accused men and who did not agree to sex. In the Borrowdale case, the reported dispute was over money and refused sexual demands. In the Bloomingdale case, the woman turned down Chivinge’s demand after he arrived before dawn. In each report, the woman’s refusal was followed by an allegation that the man used force.
A case involving a former partner was heard in Bulawayo in 2018. Tribe Lunga, then 28, was arrested and appeared before a regional magistrate charged with raping his former girlfriend. The court heard that the relationship had ended after the woman avoided seeing him because of his violent behaviour. On April 12, Lunga went to her home to ask whether her decision to end the relationship was final. Their discussion deteriorated, and he threatened to assault her before she fled. Lunga allegedly accused her of having affairs with other men and pursued her after she tried to get away from him.
The prosecution said the complainant fled to a neighbour’s house during a confrontation in Haga village, in the Gwamayaya area. Lunga allegedly followed her, threatened her with a small axe and took her to his cousin’s homestead. He was also accused of assaulting her with a stick. The court heard that he raped her there and later forced her to his own homestead, where a second rape was alleged. Her father rescued her the next day, and the incident was reported to police.
“At around 6pm, Lunga raped the complainant once after threatening to kill her with the small axe,” said prosecutor Concilia Ncube.
That case involved an ex-girlfriend, while the Bloomingdale and Borrowdale reports concerned women who were still described as the accused men’s girlfriends. The incidents were reported in different years and locations, but each account centred on sex that the woman was said to have refused, followed by force or threats.
In the latest case, Chivinge’s alleged visit began before daylight, with a knock at the window and the woman opening the door. The report says he sat on her bed, kissed her and demanded sex. When she refused, he allegedly undressed and raped her before leaving. She later reported the incident, leading to his arrest.
The police reference attached to the report is RRB 697660, at Dzivarasekwa Police Station. The woman’s identity has not been made public. Chivinge is identified as a 39-year-old Bloomingdale resident.