MARTIN MAWAYA
MVUMA-A 45-year-old self-proclaimed traditional healer from Mvuma has been slapped with an effective 15-year jail term for repeatedly raping and impregnating a 22-year-old woman under the guise of exorcism.
Innocent Chikovo pleaded not guilty to rape charges when he appeared before the Gweru Regional Court, but was convicted after a full trial.
The court heard that Chikovo got on top of the complainant, (name withheld) and raped her several times while claiming to be conducting healing sessions.
Prosecutors told the court that the complainant was taken to Chikovo by her mother in August 2023 to seek spiritual assistance.
The visits continued into January 2024, when Chikovo instructed that the complainant remain at his home, claiming the “treatment” required her to stay under his care.
It was during this period that Chikovo exploited the arrangement, falsely telling the complainant that sexual acts were part of administering medicine needed to complete her healing.
Under this guise, he repeatedly having unprotected sexual intercourse without her consent.
After the assaults, the court heard that the accused would instruct the complainant to drink some substances and apply others to her vagina.
The abuse persisted until March 19, 2024, until the complainant fell pregnant and her health deteriorated.
The court heard that Chikovo attempted to distance himself from the crime by urging the complainant to elope with a boyfriend who was also seeking spiritual assistance from him.
However, his plan unraveled when the complainant narrated her ordeal to her mother, who advised her to report the matter to the police on May 28, 2024, leading to the accused’s arrest.
