Police have finally apprehended the leader of the Johanne Masowe Echishanu Budiriro Two sect, Madzibaba Ishmael “Mufani” Chokurongerwa whose congregants severely assaulted police officers and journalists in May last year.
Mufani fled soon after the skirmishes leaving 37 members of his sect to be arrested and stand trial while he was in hibernation.
National police spokesperson Charity Charamba said in a press statement that Mufani who had been a wanted person for almost seven months had been arrested in Murewa.
“The ZRP would like to confirm the arrest of Ishmael Chokurongerwa (43), alias Madzibaba Ishmael in Murewa on 2 January 2015,” Charamba said.
“He is facing Public Violence and Children’s Protection Act charges in connection with events which occurred at the Johane Masowe eChishanu Budiriro shrine where police officers and a ZBC photographer were assaulted and injured”.
Eleven of Chokurongrerwa’s congregation have since been charged with assaulting police officers and officials from the Apostolic Christian Council of Zimbabwe (ACCZ) during a raid at their Budiriro, Harare, shrine and sentenced to five years in jail each, while 26 others were acquitted for lack of evidence.
The 11 convicts — Kudzanayi Kusekwa (31), Cabson Chandaona (43), Takavengwa Gwenzi (46), Tichafa Madyegora (41), Johanes Makumbe (39), Ndumiso Moyo (33), Alexio Kanhema (37), Clement Chimutso (47), Madzimure Madzimure (36), Charles Matanga (42) and Darlington Mambayo (46) — will, however, serve an effective four years each after presiding magistrate Tendai Mahwe suspended one year of the sentence. Daily News
