A Chitungwiza complainant says a shrine leader demanded US$3,000 after an alleged assault and kept her car and mobile phone as security. In a separate Ruwa case, a 54-year-old prophet has been arrested, while a third man has been convicted of raping a 14-year-old girl in Epworth.
Two self-styled prophets have been arrested in separate cases involving allegations of rape, while a third has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after being convicted of raping a teenager at a church gathering.
The cases were reported in Chitungwiza, Ruwa and Epworth. They involve different complainants and separate circumstances. In Chitungwiza, a 24-year-old woman says Comrade Chinyanga, popularly known as Madzibaba Masimba, assaulted her at his shrine and then demanded US$3,000. In Ruwa, Madzibaba Edmore Nyambo, 54, is accused of raping his wife’s younger sister. In Epworth, Petros Aaron, 48, was convicted after a trial over the rape of a 14-year-old girl during an all-night service.
Chinyanga is based at a shrine near Pagomba in Zengeza 4. He allegedly lured the woman there, telling her she had items in her private parts that were causing misfortunes in her life and needed to be removed by hand.
The woman says that after this, Chinyanga raped her once without protection. He then claimed to have removed five items, which he said were behind the problems in her life.
She confronted him about the rape, she said, and he demanded US$3,000 for removing the items. The woman said she did not have the money. Chinyanga allegedly told her to leave her vehicle and mobile phone as security.
“I confronted him over the rape and he went on to demand US$3,000 as payment for removing the so-called items.”I didn’t have that kind of money and he ordered me to leave my vehicle plus my mobile phone as security.”Because of fear, and after being traumatised, I handed over the car keys and the cellphone for my freedom and left the shrine.”I reported the case,” said the victim.
Police recovered the vehicle on Monday at a garage at Chikwana Shopping Centre. The woman’s account says she handed over the keys and phone because she was afraid and wanted to leave the shrine. Chinyanga has been arrested.
In Ruwa, Nyambo was arrested over an alleged assault on his wife’s younger sister at a shrine in Sunway City. He is associated with the Johanne Masowe yeChishanu church and had previously lived at the shrine with his family before they moved to Zimre Park.
The complainant and her parents attended the shrine. Nyambo allegedly approached her in 2020 and said the Holy Spirit had directed him to take her as his second wife. She rejected the proposal and told her sister.
On a later visit to the shrine, she found Nyambo alone at the house. She was sweeping inside when he allegedly entered and raped her once without protection. The woman later told her sister and father. The family agreed to keep what had happened secret.
The case came to the attention of the Harare East District Victim Friendly Unit after someone passed on information. During an interview with police, the complainant said Nyambo had raped her. His arrest followed. The case was recorded at Ruwa Police Station under reference RRB 6950559.
The third case ended with a conviction and a 20-year prison sentence for Aaron, who was found guilty of raping a 14-year-old girl during an all-night church gathering at Chitsuwa Shrine in Sunway City, Epworth.
Aaron and the teenager were members of Johanne Masowe yeNyeredzi Nomwe. The girl attended the service on 11 July with a relative. At about 8pm, she went to rest in a small tent while other congregants continued praying.
The court heard that Aaron entered the tent, grabbed the girl by the neck, covered her mouth and threatened her to keep quiet. He overpowered her, removed some of her clothing and raped her once. He warned her not to tell anyone. She later disclosed the assault to her mother and was medically examined.
Aaron denied raping the girl and said he did not know her personally. He argued that he was a member rather than a church leader and had not been alone with her. He also said more than 40 people were sleeping in closely packed tents at the shrine and that prayers normally continued throughout the night. He questioned how the girl could identify him in darkness, saying there was no electricity, and pointed to the lack of eyewitnesses.
Harare regional magistrate Fadzai Mtombeni rejected Aaron’s defence, convicted him of rape and sentenced him to 20 years in prison. The sentence marks a different stage from the two other cases, in which the reported events have led to arrests.
Across the three accounts, the settings range from a client’s visit to a shrine for spiritual help, to an encounter inside a family home at a church site, and an overnight gathering attended by worshippers. The Chitungwiza complainant’s account centres on the claimed removal of five objects and the demand for money, while the Ruwa case includes an earlier proposal that the complainant said she had rejected. The Epworth case concerned an assault on a child during a crowded overnight service.