A Gokwe traditional healer was arrested for allegedly raping a woman during a healing session after instructing her husband to wait outside.
According to a B-Metro report, the incident occurred in Jarichari Village under Chief Njelele in Gokwe South District, Midlands Province.
Prosecuting, Malvern Nzombe said that on 15 March 2023 and at around 10 AM the woman whose name is being withheld for ethical reasons and her husband who was not feeling well consulted the self-proclaimed sangoma aged 46 (name supplied).
The traditional healer is from Shonhai Village under Chief Chireya in Gokwe North District but was in Gokwe South when he met the couple.
After the couple consulted the traditional healer, he allegedly suggested to the couple that the healing session was supposed to be done at their home.
The woman and her sick husband then agreed and took the traditional healer, who was in the company of his assistant, to their home.
Upon arrival at their place, the traditional healer ordered the woman and her husband to enter their kitchen hut.
The Sangoma then ordered the woman’s husband to go to a nearby road junction to collect some soil which he claimed he wanted to use during the cleansing process.
The traditional healer also instructed his assistant to stay outside the kitchen hut monitoring the return of the woman’s husband.
It is alleged that while in the kitchen hut, the Sangoma grabbed the woman and pulled her down and raped her.
The woman’s husband reportedly came earlier than expected but the traditional healer’s assistant stopped him from proceeding to the kitchen hut.
He said the healer was going to call him if he was done with cleansing his wife and the husband complied.
After the act, the Sangoma opened the door and called his workmate and the woman’s husband to come inside.
The matter came to light when the woman later revealed the rape ordeal to the Sangoma’s other assistant.
She was advised to report the matter to the police leading to the traditional healer’s arrest.
The accused has since appeared before Gokwe magistrate Honest Musiyiwa charged with rape.
He was not asked to plead and was remanded in custody to 20 June.
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