The Sunday News
Munyaradzi Musiiwa Midlands Correspondent
A SELF-STYLED prophet from Gokwe, who raped a sect member after receiving a “prophecy” instructing him to smear semen all over her body, has been slapped with an 18-year jail sentence.Effen Sikhongwani (38) of Gandiwa Village under Chief Nemangwe in Gokwe, who claims to be a prophet of the Johanne Masowe weChishanu apostolic sect, had pleaded not guilty when he was arraigned before Gokwe regional magistrate Mr Amos Mbobo to answer rape charges.
He was convicted after a full trial and sentenced to 18 years.
Mr Mbobo, however, suspended two years of the sentence on condition of good behaviour.
For the State, Mr Robert Ndlala said sometime in December last year on a date unknown to the prosecutor, Sikhongwani raped a 22-year-old married sect member whose South Africa-based husband had spent close to two years without returning home.
Mr Ndlala told the court that on the said date, the woman approached Sikhongwani seeking divine intervention for her husband to return home.
He said Sikhongwani told the woman that the Holy Spirit had instructed him to smear semen all over her body so that her husband would return.
The court heard that Sikhongwani offered to donate the semen but first the two had to have sex so that he could produce the semen.
Mr Ndlala said the woman refused and Sikhongwani tried to persuade her to no avail.
He said Sikhongwani walked the woman home trying to convince her to have sex with him.
Realising that nothing was going to happen, Sikhongwani tripped the woman to the ground and raped her once before pleading with her not to tell anyone.
The woman, however, went on to phone her husband and told him what had transpired.
The matter was reported to the police leading to Sikhongwani’s arrest.
