MARTIN MAWAYA
MASVINGO–A 45‑year‑old self‑styled Masowe prophet from Zimuto has been slapped with a 20 year jail term by Magistrate Innocent Bepura for raping a married congregant and a teenage girl from his church.
The prophet rapped a 17‑year‑old girl and a married woman, according to documents seen by The Midweek Watch.
Liberty Hove stood in for the state.
Martin Dunga of Merenda Village, Chief Zimuto, lured his victims under the guise of prayer sessions before sexually assaulting them on separate occasions in 2024 and 2025.
According to Hove, the first complainant, a 17‑year‑old from Maguvu Village, joined Dunga’s congregation in February 2024 while seeking spiritual healing with her mother.
In March 2025, the girl went alone to a scheduled choir practice and met Dunga near Munyave Bridge.
He covered her mouth with a red cloth, carried her into nearby bushes and raped her.
The victim did not report the matter immediately due to death threats.
She only disclosed the incident to her father in May 2025 after showing signs of depression.
A report was then filed through a helpline, leading to her medical examination at Masvingo Provincial Hospital.
In the second count, on 28 August 2025, Dunga led a night long prayer session attended by about 30 congregants, including the second complainant and her husband from Nanzva Village.
During early morning prayers on 29 August, Dunga instructed his assistant to escort the woman’s husband away to dispose of a stone “as part of the prayer ritual.”
When the two men left, he pinned the woman against a pile of stones, pulled down her clothing and raped her.
The woman said she tried to scream but her cries were drowned out by congregants singing nearby.
She later disclosed the assault to her husband on their way home, and the couple filed a report at Masvingo Rural Police Station.
She also underwent medical examination at Masvingo Provincial Hospital.
