A 20 year old Zimunya man, Barnabas Kumhasi had his three day marriage with a 14 year old cut short after he was arrested.

Kumhasi asked the teenager’s hand in marriage from her parents and they consented.

According to Manica Post – Kumhasi stayed with the teenager for three days before disappearing.

It was later discovered that he had left for South Africa without the knowledge of his ‘new bride’.

Kumhasi is now facing charges of engaging in sex with a minor as defined in Section 70 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, Chapter 9:23.

He was remanded out of custody to June 30 on $100 bail.

The court heard that on an unknown date during the last four months of last year, Kumhasi knowing that the complainant was a minor had sex with her on different occasions.

Kumhasi pleaded guilty to these charges and told the court that he was officially married to the minor.

“I admit that I had sex with her, but I am officially married to the girl. I went to her parents’ home to ask for her hand in marriage and they agreed to that.

“After three days, I left for South Africa without the knowledge of my wife and she went back to her parents’ home.

“After some time she learnt that I was in South Africa and followed me there. I sent her back home on September 30. She was not feeling well and had to be taken to hospital where it was discovered that she had a sexual transmitted disease. This did not go down well with her family which opted to report me to the police, yet they had given me their daughter as a wife,” said Kumhasi. Source: Manica Post