Prophet demands US$6K from stranger's dead dad's 'spiritual debt'

A self-styled prophet who claimed divine powers to extort money from a woman over a fabricated debt allegedly owed by her deceased father has been convicted and sentenced to community service in a case that left a Bulawayo courtroom stunned.

Tinashe Aiumando (25) of Nketa 6 was this week found guilty of fraud by the Western Communal Court and ordered to perform 440 hours of community service at Nkulumane High School. Magistrate Archie Wochiwunga also ruled that Aiumando must repay US$1 155 to his victim, Pride Gamure (27), through the clerk of court.

The bizarre scam unfolded on 14 June 2025 when Gamure visited Aiumando's shrine in Dzivarasekwa, Harare, seeking spiritual cleansing. Claiming she was under a dark spiritual cloud, Aiumando convinced her that prayers at sacred sites in Emganwini, Khami, and Mhondoro were necessary to secure her freedom.

On 20 June, Aiumando accompanied Gamure on the supposed spiritual journey to Mhondoro. Along the way, he contacted an accomplice, another self-proclaimed prophet identified only as Leonard, to join them. Shortly after they set off, Leonard's vehicle conveniently broke down, setting the stage for an elaborate act of spiritual manipulation.

During a dramatic roadside prayer session, Leonard theatrically declared he had been filled with the Holy Spirit. He then dropped a bombshell: Gamure's late father, a man Leonard had never met, allegedly owed a spiritual debt of US$6 000. Leonard warned that unless this debt was settled, misfortune would befall Gamure's family.

Frightened and desperate, Gamure called her brother, who delivered US$2 800 in cash to Aiumando. However, as the fear faded, Gamure began to question the ordeal and realised she had been duped.

She reported the matter to the police, leading to Aiumando's arrest. Officers managed to recover US$1 645 of the stolen money.

In court, Aiumando pleaded guilty and admitted the entire prophecy had been fabricated to con Gamure out of her money.

The case has served as a cautionary tale against spiritual scams, highlighting how some so-called prophets prey on the vulnerable with elaborate schemes dressed as divine intervention.

As one courtroom observer remarked after sentencing: "Not every message from the so-called Holy Spirit is sacred. Some are just elaborate cons for cash."