A 25-year-old self-proclaimed prophet of Mkoba 4, Gweru, has been sentenced to 15 years imprisonment after he used spiritual manipulation to rape vulnerable women seeking prayers.
He was convicted of rape when he appeared before a Gweru magistrate.
It was proved that he used spiritual manipulation and fear tactics to exploit a vulnerable woman seeking prayers.
On June 4, this year, a 22-year-old woman visited the Nyenyedzi Nomwe Shrine in Mkoba 4, Gweru, to seek spiritual help.
She met the offender, who was practicing as a prophet.
The offender prayed for the victim and claimed she was possessed by a spirit, causing men to lose interest in her.
He further claimed someone had stolen her undergarments for ritual purposes.
He told her the only way to banish the spirit was to accompany him to a nearby bush for a “cleansing” prayer involving fire.
The victim accompanied the offender to a secluded bush area behind Mkoba Cemetery, carrying her employer’s two-year-old son.
The offender ordered her to leave the child a few meters away.
After conducting a ritual involving rapoko grains and a clay plate (mbiya/udiwo), he coerced her into removing her undergarments and lying down under the guise of spiritual healing.
The offender then raped her.
Following the rape, the victim managed to distance herself from the offender and immediately reported the incident to her employer, who advised her to report to the police.
A prompt report was filed at ZRP Mkoba, leading to the arrest and subsequent conviction of the offender.
