Rapist prophet contracts HIV and is jailed
By Walter Nyamukondiwa
A self styled prophet suffered double jeopardy after he reportedly contracted HIV from a woman he raped before being jailed four years for the crime.
Brighton Chiwafa (19) of House Number 36, 18th Street Heroes Section, Chegutu, initially went to the woman’s house demanding his “holy water” back before she pleaded with him to continue using the water.
Chiwafa denied the charge when he appeared before Chinhoyi regional magistrate Mr Solomon Jenya, but was convicted after a fully contested trial.Prosecutor Mr Admore Shekede proved that the accused had non-consensual sexual intercourse with the woman.
In his defence, Chiwafa said the woman consulted another “prophet” who instructed her to find a young and healthy man who would help her conceive, as she wanted to have a child. He said the intercourse was by mutual consent.
Allegations against Chiwafa are that on October 10, 2010, he went to the woman’s house demanding his “muteuro” (holy water) back, but the woman pleaded with him to allow her to continue using it.
He returned the following day making the same demands, but she told him that she had pain in her womb and needed help. Chiwafa asked for cooking oil and told the woman to go into a private room where he followed and told her to apply the oil on her private parts.
He then started caressing her private parts and raped her. Mr Jenya found him guilty of the offence and sentenced him to six years in prison before suspending two on condition that he does not commit a similar offence in future.
Cases of women being raped by self-styled prophets are on the rise nationally. The police urges women not to trust the prophets who masquarade under the guise of religion.
