Reverend rubbishes sodomy claims

Assemblies of Pentecostal Methodists (APM) reverend Togarepi Tapera Chivaviro yesterday brushed off a fresh allegation of sodomy against gospel singer Kudzi Nyakudya, saying the blogger making the claim is notorious for lack of credibility.

"These falsehood-peddling online publications must always be condemned," Chivaviro said, insisting that Nyakudya had spent a night at his home in Johannesburg on Tuesday when the award-winning gospel artiste allegedly sodomised the 13-year-old boy.

The husky-voiced Ebenezer singer and reverend insisted nothing of the sort ever happened.

The South Africa-based Chivaviro, who boasts of chart-topping gospel albums such as Ishe Taungana–Hymnal Worship Volume 4  of 2013 and the current Ebenezer—Tiri Munyasha, said one thing that the false accusers of Nyakudya did not bank on was that someone would provide a timeline of his movements and events.

"They certainly did not bank on Nyakudya having a concrete alibi," Chivaviro said.

He claimed the allegation was meant to tarnish "the character of the man of God" (Nyakudya) ahead of his Cape Town concert with Baba Mechanic Manyeruke.

"Indeed, a misleading news publication is no different to a thousand bayonet-brandishing jihadists," Chivaviro said.

Nyakudya is alleged to have crept into the bed of the young boy, gagged his mouth with a pillow, and then forcibly sodomised him three times.

After the act, he allegedly threatened the boy with a knife, and promised to kill him if he reported the matter, the online press reports said.

The morning after Nyakudya had left for Durban, the boy reported the alleged abuse to his parents, who reportedly confronted Nyakudya about the alleged sodomy. The gospel singer is alleged to have threatened the entire family with "death and claimed he was linked to powerful First Lady Grace Mugabe."

Nyakudya reportedly sent a text message saying: "If you go to the police nothing will happen, ndiri munhu wa Amai, hapana chandinoona, imimi ndimi munotozoitwa party (I am aligned to Grace Mugabe, nothing will happen to me, if anything, you will suffer)."

Nyakudya has staunchly denied the report.

Chivaviro said he personally assisted Kudzi to get a new passport in Zimbabwe since his passport had long expired.

"He collected it Tuesday in Harare and they travelled with Baba Manyeruke on Wednesday evening arriving in Johannesburg on Thursday morning via Inter-Cape (coach), my family hosted them here in Johannesburg, we had our rehearsals that evening before driving together to Durban on Friday," Chivaviro said.

"The four of us, including our keyboardist were hosted at Pavilion Hotel in the same apartment by our Durban pastors. That's when we saw the story circulating and we were not only surprised but disgusted as we felt this was targeted at bringing down our concerts.

"We drove back Saturday evening, in time for the Johannesburg concert on Sunday which was again fully-packed and we thanked God for that."

Chivaviro said the "false" sodomy or deviant sexual conduct allegation has been devastating to the married young musician.

"Kudzi is shaken, devastated and down, he had to cancel a Swaziland show for Saturday to go back home to his family in such times, let's remember them in our prayers," he said.

"Baba Manyeruke and I did our best to counsel him; we even went into studio to do a hymn together, Ngatimukudze Mwari, which was an emotional but healing process for him. We don't know the motive behind the story, but whoever is doing this to the young man, may God direct you towards light.

"I may not know what else is happening around his life, but what happened during the week in question is what I have shared with you, thinking it might help shed some light somewhere. We are not perfect, but we seek God's help in exposing the truth to this matter."

The sodomy allegation against Nyakudya has not been reported to the police both in South Africa and in Zimbabwe.