The name Robert Martin Gumbura is forever etched in Zimbabwe’s collective memory, not for spiritual guidance, but for a spectacular fall from grace. The late religious leader, who passed away in August 2021, will be remembered as the man whose insatiable appetite for sex led to his imprisonment on multiple counts of rape and possession of pornographic material. Even his eleven wives were not enough to satisfy his desires.
Gumbura, 64 at the time of his death, succumbed to COVID-19 complications while serving his sentence at Chikurubi Maximum Prison. He left behind a staggering number of dependants: 11 wives and 30 children.
Gumbura was the leader of the RMG Independent End Time Message church, a religious organisation that he steered into infamy. His crimes sent shockwaves through the nation, prompting widespread condemnation and raising serious questions about the abuse of power within religious institutions.
The High Court, in its ruling on Gumbura’s appeal against his conviction and sentence, left no room for doubt about his guilt. Justices Charles Hungwe and Edith Mushore, sitting as an Appeals Court, upheld the lower court’s decision, declaring that Gumbura was a danger to society. They even suggested that he should be listed in a Register of Sex Offenders, if one existed, to protect vulnerable women and children from his predatory behaviour.
Justice Mushore, who penned the judgment with the concurrence of Justice Hungwe, delivered a scathing assessment of Gumbura’s character. The judgment read: “As far as I concern myself, appellant is a personification of what Professor Geoff Feltoe refers to as ”the Evil of Abuse” in which he makes calls for other protective measures such as a Register of Sex Offenders.”
The judge continued, “Appellant is a depraved individual who degraded and objectified his victims. He is clearly the stuff that nightmares are made of.” Justice Mushore concluded, “In my view, the court a quo (lower court) correctly convicted appellant on counts 3, 7, 8, 9 and 10. The appeal against conviction on all counts is dismissed.”
Gumbura had sought to overturn the lower court’s verdict, arguing that he was innocent of the charges against him. He accused the trial magistrate of failing to properly evaluate the evidence presented by witnesses and claimed that the magistrate was swayed by moral considerations rather than legal ones.
Gumbura faced a total of nine counts of raping six women and one count of possessing pornographic material. The trial magistrate ultimately found him guilty of four counts of rape and one count of illegally possessing pornographic material.
In his appeal, Gumbura argued that the trial magistrate had neglected his duties and failed to properly assess the evidence presented by the witnesses. He maintained that the magistrate had been influenced by non-legal factors and had passed a moral judgment rather than a legal one.
The court sentenced Gumbura to 50 years in prison for the rape convictions, with 10 years conditionally suspended, leaving him to serve an effective 40-year term. He also received a four-month jail sentence for violating the Censorship and Entertainment Act. This sentence was to run concurrently with the 40-year jail term.
The court’s findings revealed that Gumbura routinely used sex enhancement drugs and possessed pornographic CDs containing scenes of group sex. These details further cemented the image of a man consumed by his sexual desires.
Justice Mushore highlighted the fact that Gumbura used death threats to control and intimidate his victims, further illustrating the extent of his depravity.
By the time of his death, Gumbura’s sentence had been reduced to 20 years. However, his time behind bars was no less dramatic than his life on the outside.
Sensational claims emerged during his imprisonment, alleging that Gumbura enjoyed special privileges, including bodyguards and a secretary. There were even reports that he had smuggled 960 bricks of cigarettes into the prison complex. These allegations, while never fully substantiated, added to the aura of notoriety surrounding the disgraced pastor.
Gumbura’s journey began in 1978 when he joined the End Time Message church and became a minister. However, even within his own family, questions lingered about his lifestyle and motivations.
His cousin, Monday Tapera Gumbura, expressed bewilderment at the pastor’s polygamous lifestyle. “What did he want 11 wives for? We heard he had nine when he came for his father’s funeral in 2010 and we thought they were too many,” he said. “While we were digesting the shock, he took more. I only know the first wife Tafadzwa Makoni and second wife Queen Bunga . As for kids, I only know Shyra and the one who has a hearing impairment. I do not know the other 28.”
Monday Tapera Gumbura questioned the motives behind his cousin’s actions, suggesting that they were driven by something other than love. “This is now about juju not love for women. If anything the wives are very young and can satisfy him. Eleven wives! He was a brave man,” he remarked.
He also noted that Gumbura seemed to keep his village life separate from his activities in Harare. “Surprisingly, he never dated or married in our village, he would do his strange things in Harare. We just concluded that this was the work of money,” he observed.
Communication with Gumbura became difficult, with family members often being turned away by his first wife. “He would rarely answer his cellphone if anyone from the village called. Mai Shifra would always answer and say he is not around but I knew I was being tricked,” Monday Tapera Gumbura said.
He added, “When I visited his Harare home, I would only be allowed to speak with Mai Shifra. You would never see the other wives. I only saw the other eight when he lined them up for introductions before they were whisked away. I don’t even remember them.”
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