Prophet accused of raping girl (13)

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A PROPHET with the Johane Masowe weChishanu apostolic sect was yesterday locked up in remand prison for allegedly raping a 13-year-old epileptic girl he had offered to heal.

A PROPHET with the Johane Masowe weChishanu apostolic sect was yesterday locked up in remand prison for allegedly raping a 13-year-old epileptic girl he had offered to heal.

SILAS NKALA STAFF REPORTER

Heremanosi Mutsananguro (31) of Guwe in Nkayi denied the rape charges when he appeared before Bulawayo Regional Court magistrate Colet Ncube.

However, he was remanded in custody to April 11 after he asked to be allowed to call his wife Patience and mother Sipho Mutsananguro as defence witnesses. Mutsananguro told the court that the girl lied that he raped her after he discovered that she was sent by her grandmother on a witchcraft mission at his homestead.

When prosecutor Robin Mukura asked him what he would say about the indications by the girl that he raped her when she went to seek prayers, Mutsananguro said on the day of the alleged rape, his wife gave the girl a place to sleep.

Mutsananguro said he slept in the bedroom with his wife while his daughter and another child slept on the floor. He said he was surprised to see the girl in their bedroom and asked his wife.

“I was told that she had been sent by her grandmother and there were some witchcraft acts being conducted,” he said.

“As I speak, my mother is suffering because of that. I know that she was sent by her grandmother. She was misled by her grandmother to say that I raped her, but there is an issue of witchcraft which they were doing on my family. I saw that.”

Allegations against Mutsananguro are that on September 13 2013 at around 6pm, he approached the girl and offered to heal her. The girl went to his homestead so he could pray for her. At about 6.30pm, Mutsananguro allegedly told the girl that they had to go into the bush where he raped her once.

On the same day at around 7pm after supper, Mutsananguro went to sleep with his wife on the bed while the girl slept on the floor in the same room. At night Mutsananguro woke up and slept with the girl on the floor where he allegedly raped her again. The girl reported the matter to her grandmother the next morning.