Madzibaba jailed 17 years for raping woman, muting her voice
MUTARE – Tendai Chikowore, a self-proclaimed prophet from Chikanga, Mutare was slapped with an effective 17-year prison sentence for raping a woman who had sought spiritual guidance at his shrine.
The accused person(40) appeared before the Mutare Magistrates’ Court yesterday on rape charges.
According to State papers, on July 6, 2024, a 31-year-old woman visited the accused person’s shrine seeking spiritual guidance. Upon arrival, she was informed that she required cleansing and was subsequently given water to bathe.
Following that, she was instructed to rub her body with ashes from a nearby bush. Meanwhile, as she applied the ashes in the bush, the accused suddenly grabbed her, pushed her to the ground and raped her.
The complainant attempted to scream for help but Chikowore allegedly ordered her voice to be muted, resulting in sudden silence.
After the assault, the accused instructed the complainant to submit to the Holy Spirit and undergo purification with holy water to regain her voice but she remained silent.
Despite being unable to speak, the complainant filed a police report by writing down her traumatic experience on a piece of paper.
The accused person was arrested and instructed to conduct rituals to restore the complainant’s voice.
