‘Prophet’ in court for raping sisters

By Yeukai Karengezeka

A self-styled prophet from Mutasa has appeared at Chitungwiza court on allegations of raping two sisters while cleansing them of evil spirits. Tinashe Nyamurundira (30) appeared before regional magistrate Mrs Estere Chivasa facing one count of rape and another of attempted rape.

The sisters are 16 and 21-years-old. Nyamurundira denied the allegations and was remanded in custody to Thursday.

Prosecutor Mrs Ntombikayise Mtlongwa told the court that on February 5, the complainants, their mother and an aunt went to Unit M, Seke, to consult Nyamurundira. When they arrived around 2200hrs, Nyamurundira went to buy an energy drink.

He came back at around 0200hrs and asked the girls’ mother and aunt to return home, while he began the process of cleansing the girls of evil spirits.

Nyamurundira allegedly ordered the girls to go into his bedroom where he told the older sister to remove her clothes and she complied.

He gave her a white cloth to cover her body and ordered the minor to remove her undergarments and take them to the maize field. He then unzipped his trousers and ordered the elder sister to place a condom on his organ and sleep on the ground, but she refused to lie down.

She asked her younger sister to leave the house and she complied. Nyamurundira then attempted to rape the elder sister again, but she wrestled with him and screamed, prompting him to run away.

She then left the house. At around 0600hrs on February 6, Nyamurundira met the younger sister and asked her to take him to her house in Unit K so that he could pray for her.

When they arrived, she asked Nyamurundira to wait in the kitchen while she went to the other bedroom, but he followed her and removed her clothes, pushed her on a mattress and raped her once.

He told her that she was now his wife, but she quickly dressed and went to Unit L Clinic where it was confirmed that she was raped. A report was subsequently made to the police, leading to Nyamurundira’s arrest. The Herald