Sangoma rapes, impregnates woman

Michael Mashiri

A man who allegedly raped a man woman under the disguise of cleansing her has been given bail.

Darlington Mabudo, 49, of Overspill Epworth, appeared before the Harare Magistrates’ Courts charged with rape.

He was ordered to deposit US$100 bail and will appear in court on March 11.

The complainant in this matter is a 21-year-old woman.

The State alleges that in May 2023, the complainant was selling fish in Epworth, Harare.

Mabudo met the complainant there and told her he wanted fish but had no money on him.

He allegedly persuaded the complainant to go with him to his house.

The complainant agreed, but along the way, Mabudo introduced himself to complainant as a spirit medium and he told the complainant that she had a bad spirit on her which needed to be cleansed.

Mabudo allegedly then gave the complainant his phone number and told her to call him if she wanted to be cleansed and the complainant went her way.

It is alleged that the complainant went on to inform her mother and the following day the complainant went with her mother to Mabudo’s place.

The State alleges that complainan’s mother then gave Mabudo permission to go ahead with the cleansing ceremony.

Mabudo allegedly told the complainant that he needed US$150 for the complainant to be cleansed but she told him she had no money.

He allegedly then told the complainant that she should accompany him wherever he goes to cleanse other people to get free service.

In that same month, Mabudo invited the complainant to accompany him to Shamva where he had a ceremony at Tembo’s homestead.

It is alleged that Mabudo asked the owner of the house to accommodate them.

Before they could sleep everyday, it is alleged that Mabudo told the complainant that the spirit which was on her wanted some wine to stay happy.

As a result, he gave the complainant wine to drink and the complainant could get drunk to the extent of not knowing what was happening.

Surprisingly, the complainant saw some sperms on her pant every morning but she did not ask Mabudo about the issue.

The two stayed in Shamva for three weeks and moved to Westgate where he wanted to perform a cleansing ceremony again for three weeks.

Mabudo kept on giving the complainant wine and had sex with her.

The matter came to light after the complainant eloped to another man and Mabudo went to the complainant’s husband and threatened him to leave the complainant since she was his wife and she had his pregnancy.

The complainant and her husband went for a scan and it showed that she was eight months pregnant which did not tally with her husband’s expectations.

The husband then told the complainant to go to Mabudo’s place.

She allegedly then made a police report at Epworth Police Station stating that she did not recall any day having sex with Mabudo but only saw sperms on her private part and pant during the days she stayed with him.