A 36-year-old self-styled prophet is accused of raping a 14-year-old girl who is a member of his church, the Tabernacle of Power Ministries in Chitungwiza.
According to <a href="https://www.heraldonline.co.zw/pastor-tino-allegedly-rapes-congregant-gives-her-morning-after-pills14/">HeraldOnline</a>, Prophet Tino, whose real name is Tendai Tinodiwanashe Mashongashika, recently appeared in court to respond to the allegations.
The incident reportedly happened on January 12, 2025, after a church service held at Pastor Tino’s home in Unit A. After the service, the youth chair lady asked the girl to stay behind and help arrange the chairs.
During this time, Pastor Tino allegedly took the girl into his bedroom, where he forced himself on her and raped her.
Afterward, he gave her a cloth to wipe off the blood and took her to her grandmother’s house. Before leaving, he prayed for her.
The girl did not initially tell anyone about the assault because Pastor Tino had told her not to. He allegedly said that no one would believe her because he is a pastor.
The next morning, on January 13, at around 6 AM, Pastor Tino met the girl again and gave her morning-after pills, instructing her on how to use them.
The rape was discovered on January 30 when the girl’s grandmother checked her cell phone and found WhatsApp messages from the pastor proposing love to the 14-year-old girl.
The grandmother also saw that the girl had been enquiring about morning-after pills and how to terminate a pregnancy. When she confronted her granddaughter, the girl did not disclose the rape.
However, the grandmother informed her aunt, and the teenager then revealed the abuse by Pastor Tino. A medical report was presented in court as evidence.

Pindula News

A man who calls himself a pastor is accused of raping a 14-year-old girl who goes to his church in Chitungwiza. The man allegedly assaulted her after a church service in his home. He then gave her morning-after pills to prevent pregnancy and told her not to tell anyone. The abuse was discovered when the girl's grandmother saw messages from the pastor on her phone and found out about the pills. The girl finally told her family about what happened, and now the man is facing charges in court.

Chitungwiza Pastor Allegedly Rapes Girl (14) And Gives Her Morning After Pills

A 40-year-old self-proclaimed prophet from Chikanga, Mutare, has been arraigned before the Mutare Magistrates’ Court on rape charges.
It is alleged that the accused person, Tendai Chikowore, caused his victim to lose her voice before raping her during a prayer session in the bush.
According to a statement from the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the incident occurred on July 6, 2024, when the 31-year-old complainant visited the accused person’s shrine seeking spiritual guidance. Said the NPA:
<blockquote>
She was told that she needed cleansing and she was given some water to bath. She was further instructed to rub her body with some ashes in a nearby bush.
While applying the ashes in the bush, the accused person suddenly appeared and pushed the complainant down. She fell down facing upwards, after which he raped her once.
The complainant tried to scream for help and the accused person “ordered complainant’s voice to mute and she lost her voice”.
After the act, the accused person told the complainant that she should not argue with the Holy Spirit and also that she needed to be cleansed with holy water to get her voice back.
The complainant could still not speak when she made a police report, she wrote her ordeal on a piece of paper.
</blockquote>
After his arrest, Chikowore allegedly performed some rituals for the complainant in an attempt to help her regain her voice.
The court subsequently sentenced Chikowore to 20 years in prison, with 3 years suspended. He will therefore serve an effective sentence of 17 years behind bars.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

A man who said he was a prophet made a woman lose her voice, then raped her in the bushes during a prayer. The woman went to him for help, and he said she needed cleansing. He raped her and made her lose her voice. The man was arrested and sentenced to 20 years in prison. He also tried to help the woman get her voice back after he was caught. The woman had to write down what happened to her because she couldn't speak.

Madzibaba Accused Of Raping Woman After Causing Her To Lose Voice

A 53-year-old self-proclaimed prophet from Pumula, Bulawayo, has been arrested on charges of allegedly raping his client and forcing her to have sexual intercourse with one of his congregants at his shrine, purportedly as part of the “healing process.”
The matter came to light after the victim, aged 35, (name withheld for ethical reasons) divulged the alleged abuse to her mother.
She told her mother that the prophet identified as Israel Gwatinyanya, was forcing her to indulge in sexual intercourse with him and another congregate from his church.
<a href="https://cite.org.zw/pumula-prophet-arrested-on-rape-charges/">CITE</a> reported a source close to the investigations, who spoke on condition of anonymity, as saying Gwatinyanya had been attending to the victim since August 2022. Said the source:
<blockquote>
Gwatinyanya put up a shrine just behind the Haulin Quarry mine in Pumula suburb. Sometime in August 2022, the victim went to Gwatinyanya for assistance, saying she had a problem with her husband. Gwatinyanya then suggested that she stay with him while getting assistance.
The victim stayed with Gwatinyanya and his wife, sharing the same tent but sleeping on different beds.
In January 2023, Gwatinyanya informed the victim that the spirit told him that she should have sexual intercourse with him for the cleansing process to be successful, the accused had sexual intercourse with her several times from January 2023 to March 2023.
</blockquote>
In July 2023, Gwatinyanya allegedly ordered the woman to have sexual intercourse with another congregant (name supplied) aged 20 as part of her cleansing process. Said the source:
<blockquote>
The victim initially refused but Gwatinyanya forced her and instructed that they go and have intercourse at a nearby bush and after completing the act, they must both come back and report to him.
In August, Gwatinyanya again ordered the victim to have sexual intercourse with the congregant but she complained, citing that she would not indulge in sexual activities because her child was not feeling well.
She also inquired why the cleansing process involved a third party (the congregant) with whom she was forced to have sexual intercourse.
Gwatinyanya disregarded her concerns and maintained that it was all part of the cleansing and she had sexual intercourse for the second time with the congregant.
</blockquote>
The victim reportedly visited her mother on 09 January 2024 and narrated what had happened resulting in a police report being made and the subsequent arrest of Gwatinyanya.
There have been several reports of religious leaders sexually abusing their congregants in Zimbabwe. Some religious organisations have cultures and systems that allow abuse to take place and resist any exposure to this abuse, which can give cover to abusers.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Prophet (53) Arrested On Rape Charges

Police in Harare have launched a manhunt for a self-proclaimed prophet who allegedly drugged and raped a 23-year-old woman who had sought spiritual deliverance at his shrine in Whitecliffe.
The woman had failed to conceive and decided to visit Madzibaba Tarisai Mangwiro’s shrine seeking spiritual healing.
It is alleged that when she arrived at his shrine, the prophet told her that there was an evil object lodged in her uterus, which was preventing her from conceiving.
It is further alleged that Madzibaba Tarisai gave the woman something to drink, claiming that the evil object will move from the uterus to her breasts, and there was a need to remove it.
The woman drank the substance and became unconscious. When she later regained consciousness, she realised that she had been raped.
Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) spokesperson in Harare Province, Inspector Luckmore Chakanza, confirmed the incident to <a href="https://www.hmetro.co.zw/fake-healer-rapes-woman-on-the-run/">H-Metro</a>. He said:
<blockquote>
The complainant was persuaded to drink a substance which made her unconscious and he raped her.
She did not immediately disclose the rape, but it haunted her until she decided to report the case to the police.
</blockquote>
Fake prophets usually take advantage of women who would have visited their shrines alone and rape them.
In most cases, the victims would have visited the “prophets” without the consent of their husbands and as a result, they fail to report the abuse to their spouses for fear of being divorced.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Prophet Drugs And Rapes Woman (23) At A Shrine In Harare

Bulawayo-based self-styled prophet, Mduduzi Dube popularly known as Black Elisha is reportedly demanding between US$100 and US$150 for a one-on-one session or consultation fee for an audience with him.
Dube, who is the founder of Christ Life Generation Church defended charging consultation fees, a practice considered by some Christians to be contrary to the teachings of the Bible.
Speaking to <a href="https://www.bmetro.co.zw/storm-over-prophets-one-on-one-charges/">B-Metro</a>, Dube defended the practice saying the money is needed to make the prophet presentable and also to help develop the church and fund the preaching of the Gospel. He said:
<blockquote>
Some people can only cope with being broke, they can’t manage with being blessed.
This is because if I bless you, after those consultations or one on one sessions your life will change immediately.
Life is a battleground and if you don’t create a strong atmosphere of prayers through one on one sessions with a man of God, you can’t access certain blessings because the kingdom of darkness is also interested in making those blessings not to get to you.
It’s just like asking why some people are patronising expensive restaurants. One of the reasons is the level of services being offered by those restaurants.
From having bread crumbs dusted off the table to be able to signal the staff with silverware placement to the staff’s knowledge of the dishes.
Presentation and the atmosphere are also some of the reasons. From how the table is set to how the food is placed on the plates. It displays a level of pride and attention to detail.
Likewise, as a true man of God who is blessing and healing people, I should not look wretched as you will take me as a bogus prophet or not have faith in my work.
That money from the consultation fees is used to help develop the church and some is used to preach the word of God and testify His goodness.
</blockquote>
Last year, another Bulawayo-based self-proclaimed prophet Bruce Edwards (real name Bruce Ncube), founder of Kingdom Empowerment Centre Church (KEC) also sparked debate after it emerged that he was allegedly demanding a US$20 consultation fee for an audience with him.
Ncube was also reportedly taking US$6 for a seat from congregants who wanted to attend his lunch-hour services.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Zimbabwean "Prophet" Charging US$150 For One-on-one Sessions

A 19-year-old self-styled spiritual healer from Dzivaresekwa is on the run after he allegedly raped a 24-year-old married woman at a shrine in Kuwadzana 7 on November 3 last year.
The suspect, Carlos Mandizvidza, is alleged to have claimed that he had the power to stop the death of the woman’s child.
He allegedly instructed his victim to smear vaseline on her private parts before raping her.
Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) spokesperson in Harare Province, Inspector Luckmore Chakanza, confirmed the case to <a href="https://www.hmetro.co.zw/healer-rapes-married-woman/">H-Metro</a>. He said:
<blockquote>
Police are investigating a rape case involving a Dzivaresekwa spiritual healer. In November, the complainant received information via a WhatsApp group that there was a prophet in Kuwadzana 7 who helps people with spiritual problems.
She then communicated with the accused person and narrated her spiritual problems.
The accused person confirmed that he could assist and referred her to his shrine at Kuwadzana New Stands in Harare.
On November 3, the complainant went to the shrine where she was instructed to rub vaseline on and inside her private parts. This was done while the accused person closed his eyes.
After about 29 minutes of rubbing, the accused person opened his eyes and told his victim that the spirit had instructed him to do the rubbing and raped her.
She was threatened that her child would die if she disclosed the act to anyone.
The complainant claims to have disclosed the act to a relative on January 23. The accused person is on the run.
</blockquote>
Carlos denied that he raped the woman saying she lured him into having sex with her and wanted him to marry her. He said:
<blockquote>
I am aware that I had sexual intercourse with the woman. She is the one who lured me into having sex with her and wanted me to marry her.
I learned about her marital status after her husband phoned me over my messages he found on her mobile phone. I am on my way to Botswana as we speak.
</blockquote>

Self-styled Spiritual Healer (19) Rapes Married Woman (24)

A Harare-based self-styled prophet cost some of his football-betting followers their hard-earned cash after making a false prediction of Sunday’s World Cup final result.
Tinashe Michael Sello of Christ Celebration International Ministries told his followers who bet, to place their bet on France.
He claimed before his congregation that France would beat Argentina 1-0 to win the World Cup.
However, Argentina beat France 4-2 on penalties after the match had ended 3-3 after extra time.
In a video that has been circulating on social media platforms, Sello, who calls himself “The Ultimate”, said Argentina would play a defensive game.
He added that France would penetrate Argentina’s defensive lines and score before parking the bus to win the final.
It was in fact, France that parked the bus from the onset of the match and had to come from behind twice, first to make it 2-2 and then 3-3 before losing 4-2 during penalties after extra time.
Reports claimed that Sello had closed his church following his wrong prediction and some of his followers were reportedly threatening to withdraw their membership from his church.
When H-Metro called Sello to clarify his false prediction on Monday, his personal assistant, who refused to identify herself, said:
<blockquote>
The prophet is in a meeting right now. If you are in Harare, come to church on Saturday, but if you want to see him personally come and pay US$300 for booking at our offices in Southerton.
</blockquote>
Sello’s church holds services at Kingstone House along Kwame Nkrumah Avenue.
Sello’s PA later said he was not reachable and promised to give information about the next church service. | <a href="https://www.hmetro.co.zw/prophet-under-fire-over-world-cup-results-prophet-of-shame-church-closed-congregants-angry/">H-Metro</a>

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