A 25-year-old self-styled Chiredzi prophet will spend the next 15 years in jail for raping a pregnant woman after lying to her that she had objects in her womanhood that could kill the baby or her during delivery.Thomas Muzira of Village 9, Triangle, pleaded not guilty to a charge of rape when he appeared before Masvingo senior regional magistrate Judith Zuyu on Friday, but was convicted due to overwhelming evidence against him.
The magistrate sentenced him to 18 years in jail, three years of which were suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour. Magistrate Zuyu said Muzira put God’s name in disrepute by pretending to be a prophet when he was a criminal.
The man escaped to South Africa after committing the crime in 2010 and was arrested in December last year when he decided to come back home.
“You were on the run and you thought you will never be arrested. You deserve a stiffer penalty because the police had a torrid time looking for you yet you had skipped the border to South Africa. How could you rape an innocent pregnant woman through lying that you’re a prophet? You should rot in jail so that those who use God’s name to commit crime can also learn,” said Zuyu.
Prosecuting, Mukai Mutumhe said Muzira inserted his fingers into his victim’s womanhood as part of the “healing” session.
“On December 15, 2010, the woman visited Muzira where she was told she would die during delivery if she did not seek treatment. The woman was accompanied by her husband and other relatives but Muzira did not do anything on the day. He asked the woman to return the following day for treatment,” said Mutumhe.
Two days later, the woman returned and found Muzira alone. He took her into his room and ordered her to lie facing upwards, before inserting his finger into her womanhood.
“Muzira removed some objects after which he told the woman that there were still some bigger objects inside. He then ordered her to stand up and lean forward while holding a stool with both hands so that he could detect and remove bigger objects inserted by the enemies,” added the prosecutor.
When the woman leaned forward, Muzira lifted the woman’s dress to waist level before raping her once. “When the woman felt that Muzira had inserted his manhood, she tried to get off his grip but he held her tightly until he finished. After the incident, the woman went home and informed her husband after which a formal report was made to Triangle police. Muzira fled to neighbouring South Africa after committing the crime where he stayed for nearly five years but was arrested on his return in December last year, following a tip off,” said Mutumhe.
Muzira claimed he was in love with the woman and she framed him after her husband discovered about their relationship. Chronicle