Prophet rapes man's two wives during 'special prayers'

A Binga prophet alleged raped a fellow villager's two wives after luring them to his shrine following a 'false' prophesy about their looming family danger, a weekly paper reported today.

Peter Mumpande (36) from Lusulu is alleged to have prophesied during church services that the women would be befallen by tragic events, which included an accident involving their husband who was away in Bulawayo or his arrest, before inviting them for "special prayers".

According to reports, Mupande raped the two women who are in a polygamous marriage last year on separate occasions during bush prayers. He allegedly told them that sex was the church's secret form of prayer.

However, misfortune befell him when the two women discussed the matter resolved to report the matter to the police leading to his arrest

But Mumpande who appeared before a Hwange court last Friday denied the charges saying the women had seduced him as they were sex-starved by their husband who was always away.

 "Your honour, the complainants' husband was away in Bulawayo for a very long time and the two appeared to be sex-starved and they always enticed me to have sex with them.

"I could not resist the temptation and hence we agreed with the complainants to have sex," Mupande told the court.

He claimed that he had sex with the first wife four times and the first time he gave her a bar of soap and a $5 note. He added that he did the same to the second wife and after the consensual act he gave her a black skirt and a $5 note.

"They did not tell their husband when he came home because the sex was consensual.
"However, the two women decided to lie to their husband that I had raped them after I told them that I was going back to Bulawayo after staying with them for several months and they did not want me to leave them alone," he said.

The trial continues on 7 October with Mumpande proceeding with his defence outline.