A self-styled prophet from Chivi has been jailed for 14 years for raping and infecting an 18-year-old girl brought to him by her mother for treatment.
The complainant was left in the custody of Hupenyu Muhwati, a member of Johane Masowe from Muzondo Village under headman Makonese.
Muhwati told the complainant he needed to have sex with her in order to remove a spiritual husband that was causing her misery.
The judgment was delivered by Magistrate Dambudzo Malunga last week.
The State said that sometime in November 2018 the complainant was escorted by her mother to Muhwati’s homestead for spiritual healing since she was not feeling well. Muhwati told complainant’s mother to leave the complainant at his homestead so that he would pray for her.
In January 2019 at around 4pm during the absence of his wife, Muhwati told the complainant that she had a spiritual husband, so they were supposed to have sexual intercourse to chase away the spiritual husband.
At 8pm while his wife was in the bedroom preparing to sleep, Muhwati took the complainant to a nearby bush for routine prayer.
After the prayer he asked for a kiss from the complainant but she refused. He forcefully kissed the complainant, pulled her skirt down, opened his short’s zip, removed the complainant’s clothes and had sexual intercourse with her without her consent.
After the rape, he told the complainant not to tell anyone threatening her that the spiritual husband would return on her.
Muhwati continued to have sexual intercourse with the complainant several other times without her consent after telling her that the spiritual husband was still on her.
On February 21, 2019 at around 6pm, the accused accompanied the complainant back to her mother’s home and had sex with her in the bush without consent.
On August 15, 2019 the complainant phoned her sister who stays in South Africa and told her that she was seven months pregnant and Muhwati was responsible for the pregnancy.
The following day the complainant’s sister called her mother and informed her about the case. The mother interviewed the complainant who then disclosed what happened.
A Police report was made leading to the arrest of Muhwati. Medical tests were done on the complainant and it was established that she was now HIV positive.
Magistrate Malunga described Muhwati as a ruthless person who is not suitable to stay in the community hence he is only suitable for a custodial sentence.
Liberty Hove prosecuted.
-Masvingo Mirror
