The Sunday News
Midlands Correspondent
A SELF-PROCLAIMED prophet from Gokwe has been slapped with a 20-year jail sentence after he was found guilty of drugging and raping a fellow villager’s wife at his church’s shrine while purporting to be casting away evil spirits “bedevilling” her family.
Emmanuel Domeka (32) of Mafusa Village under Chief Chireya in Gokwe had pleaded not guilty to rape when he appeared before Gokwe regional magistrate, Mr Amos Mbobo.
He was convicted and sentenced to 20 years, two of which were suspended on condition of good behaviour. The State’s case was that on 20 April 2011, Domeka was on his way home from the shrine when he met the complainant who was on her way to a nearby river to fetch water.
Domeka told the complainant that he had a bad dream about her family and that her husband was likely to encounter a series of misfortunes.
He told the complainant that he was supposed to pray for her and her husband so that he would cast away evil spirits troubling her family.
The complainant told him that her husband was away as he had gone to attend a church meeting at a nearby village and would spend some days there.
Domeka told the complainant to bring her husband’s clothes to the shrine so that he would pray for her together with the clothes to which she complied.
The court heard that Domeka instructed the complainant to kneel down and gave her a herb which she was supposed to chew while he prayed for her.
After chewing the herb, the complainant started feeling weak and dizzy and Domeka splashed water on her face. The complainant fell to the ground and Domeka raped her once.
She later regained her consciousness and told Domeka that she wanted to report him to the police.
Domeka, the court also heard, told the woman that he had raped several women using the same method but they had not reported him.
The complainant went and reported the matter to her husband before making a police report.
Domeka then fled the village and was on the run for three years before resurfacing on 2 September this year. He was arrested after police got a tip off from members of the public.
Mr Robert Ndlala appeared for the State.
