Prophet in court over rape charges

Runodada Witness

Zim Now Reporter

A 55-year-old man from Uzumba's Chief Nyajina area has been hauled before the Murehwa Magistrates' Court, facing allegations of raping a female congregant.

The accused, who cannot be named, is said to have manipulated the victim by claiming she had fertility issues, which only he could resolve through prayer.

According to court records, the man who claimed to be a prophet invited the complainant to his residence for prayers, where she stayed for three days.

On the third day, he instructed her to wake up at midnight for a prayer session, during which he said she had a foreign object in her womb. The prophet allegedly told the victim that the only way to remove the object was through sexual intercourse with him, threatening that she would die if she refused.

The alleged rape occurred in May 2023, but the matter only came to light on February 1, 2025, when the prophet asked the complainant's husband to allow her to return to his house for further healing prayers. The complainant refused, revealing that the prophet had raped her previously. A police report was subsequently filed, leading to the prophet's arrest.

In a separate case, a 34-year-old self-styled prophet from Gweru was arrested for allegedly raping and impregnating a 21-year-old female congregant on the pretext of cleansing her of menstrual pains