Zimbabwean police have arrested one of the two suspects who allegedly raped a 41-year-old South African woman on a visit to that country on August 20.

The suspects had offered the woman a lift, when they also allegedly robbed her of a cell phone, R115 and 8.5 million Zimbabwean dollars along the Beitbridge-Bulawayo highway in Zimbabwe. The incident took place at about 19:00, about 15km from Beitbridge town.

The police spokesperson for Matabeleland South province, Asst Insp Trust Ndlovu, said the suspect was arrested on Saturday last week, following thorough police investigations. “We are, however, also appealing to members of the community to assist us so that we can arrest the other suspect, who is still at large,” Ndlovu said. He added that the suspect was arrested in Masvingo town in Zimbabwe.

The victim was traveling with a female relative, driving from Bulawayo, where they had visited their in-laws and were on their way back to South Africa. “Along the way, their car developed a puncture and she then boarded another vehicle going to Beitbridge town to have the tyre fixed,” Ndlovu said.

On returning to the point where the car was left, she got a lift in the suspects’ car. The vehicle had four people on board, two of them women. After traveling for about 10km, the driver then dropped off the two other female passengers and proceeded with the South African woman and the other male passenger. The driver then traveled another 5 km, before leaving the highway and parking the car at a bushy area, under the guise of intending to refuel it.

However, soon after parking car, the driver and the passenger ordered the complainant to disembark. They then robbed her and took turns raping her, before tying her to a tree, using her G-string.

They sped off at high speed, leaving the victim stranded. The woman, however, managed to untie herself and got a lift from a Good Samaritan, who took her to the Beitbridge Police Station, where she reported the matter.