Prophetess’ surgical op kills woman

By Sylvester Chiramba

A Bulawayo woman died due to excessive bleeding after a prophet and a prophetess at an apostolic church in Emakhandeni suburb allegedly operated on a growth which had developed on her privates.

Excillia Mhiti (30), the prophetess, from Emakhandeni suburb in Bulawayo and the prophet Edward Machengo (53) from Chadenga village in Murehwa appeared before Western Commonage magistrate Mr Lungie Ncube on Friday facing a charge of culpable homicide.

Mhiti pleaded guilty to the charge while Machengo pleaded not guilty.

“I never assisted the deceased, I was not even at the shrine,” said Machengo .

Mhiti also said Machengo was not there when she carried out the operation with other women.

“When I did the cutting I was in the company of other women. Prophet Machengo was not there,” Mhiti told the court.

The two accused persons applied for bail and the State said it had no grounds to oppose the application. Mr Ncube granted them free bail and ordered them to reappear in court on December 1 for trial.

Prosecuting, Mrs Memory Ndlovu said last Tuesday at around 8AM, Mpumelelo Ndlovu went to a Johane Masowe shrine in Emakhandeni suburb hoping to be cured of a growth that had developed on her privates.

“She was attended to by Edward Machengo a prophet at the shrine who requested Excillia Mhiti a prophetess to attend to her,” said Ndlovu.

“Mhiti used a razor blade to cut the growth on the deceased’s privates and she started to bleed. The bleeding did not stop until she passed away on Wednesday.”

The court further heard that Mpumelelo did not seek medical attention, leading to her death.