Masowe prophet in court for rape

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A 31-YEAR-OLD prophet from Johane Masowe weChishanhu was last week arraigned before the courts facing charges of raping a church member on several occasions.

A 31-YEAR-OLD prophet from Johane Masowe weChishanhu was last week arraigned before the courts facing charges of raping a church member on several occasions.

PRESTIGE GAMA OWN CORRESPONDENT

Lloyd Mabhachi (31) allegedly raped a fellow congregant six times on different occasions and threatened to kill her if she told anyone about the incident.

He appeared before Western Commonage provincial magistrate Willard Mafios Moyo where he had to answer charges of violating section 65 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.

Mabachi pleaded not guilty to the charge, claiming he had an affair with the complainant since last June.

He was remanded out of custody on $300 bail to March 10 for continuation of trial.

In his defence, Mabhachi told the court that he had been seeing the victim since last June and he had no idea why she had laid the rape charge.

“We started dating last year and she called me to her house, where we had sexual intercourse,” he said.

Mabhachi said the affair started when the complainant sent him a WhatsApp message, which was seen by his wife, requesting him to come and warm her up, since her husband was in South Africa.

The prophet’s wife asked her about the message, but she denied, saying it was delivered to a wrong number and she actually meant to send it to her cousin in Harare.

Prosecutor Mufaro Mageza told the court that on an unknown date, Mabhachi allegedly visited the victim at her home in Nketa, where they usually engaged in prayer sessions.

At around 9pm, when Mabhachi was planning to return to his home, he grabbed the complainant and forced her onto a bed and had sexual intercourse with her.

“I never screamed because he threatened to kill me,” she said.

On the second occasion, the prophet went back to the victim’s house for prayers and raped her again.

On the third occasion, Mabhachi forcibly had sexual intercourse four times with the complainant in one night.

She reported the matter to other church elders the next morning.

They reported the matter to the police, leading to his arrest.