Convicted Rapist Madzibaba Ishamael Awaits Sentencing

Convicted rapist Madzibaba Ishamael Chokurongerwa is set to be sentenced today (Tuesday) by Harare Regional Magistrate Estere Chivasa. He was found guilty of raping and impregnating a 14-year-old congregant.

Madzibaba Ishamael, the leader of the Johane Masowe eChishanu Gorejena Penyeranyika Apostolic Sect, was convicted on Thursday, 5 December, for engaging in a sexual act with a female congregant who was 14 years old at the time. DNA tests confirmed that he is the biological father of the victim’s child.

Despite this evidence, he continues to assert his innocence, claiming that the DNA results were tainted and therefore inadmissible.

The prosecution argued that Madzibaba Ishamael abused his position as a trusted religious leader to exploit and rape vulnerable young congregants under the guise of religious authority.

He was initially charged with three counts of rape but was convicted on one count, as the court determined that the other two alleged victims were adults who could consent.

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