Bishop beats woman to death ‘to cast out demons’, jailed 10 years

A BISHOP who tied a naked woman and her husband with chains before severely striking them with a leather whip, leading to the woman’s death, has been convicted of murder and sentenced to serve 10 years in jail.

Gomori, a Bishop at Damasko Zion Christian Church located in Beitbridge, appeared for sentencing on Monday before Bulawayo High Court Judge, Justice Ngoni Nduna.

Justice Nduna sentenced Bishop Gomori to 10 years in jail.

In delivering the sentence, Justice Nduna said: “The offender’s defence that it was a church practice to beat up congregants to cast out demons, and that when the deceased joined his church she and her husband consented to such a practice, does not hold water and is not lawful. The practice is archaic and unlawful.”

In aggravation, Chief Director of Prosecution Mr Justin Uladi submitted that a life was lost and prayed for a deterrent sentence to like-minded people.

“A life was lost unnecessarily while following an archaic and inhumane church practice. A custodial sentence should be effected because a non-custodial sentence will trivialise the matter,” he said.

“We pray that the court effect a deterrent sentence so as to send a strong message to other church leaders who still uphold such archaic church practices.

“The deceased died without dignity as she was stripped naked and severely thrashed in front of male congregants.

“As such, the court should send a clear message that such inhumane church practices are not tolerated,” said Mr Uladi.

The deceased’s husband told the court that when they were praying, one of the church pastors named Philip Banga stopped them.

“Banga ordered two male congregants to tie us with a chain and claimed we were possessed by demons. On the following day we were taken to the Limpopo River and immersed in water, saying they were casting out demons,” he recalled.

“We were then taken back to the church where, upon arrival, we were put into a room. After that, Gomori started to assault us until we fell unconscious, resulting in my wife’s death,” he told the court.

Mr Uladi told the court that the incident occured on 6 March 2023 when the deceased and her husband, Fortunate Mukwayi, arrived at Damasko Zion Christian Church to attend a service.

“Two males grabbed the deceased and her husband before tying them with a chain, saying they were possessed by demons. The pair spent the entire night seated in a room while in chains.

“On the following day at around 8AM, they were taken to the Limpopo River where they were immersed in water to be baptised and exorcised of demons. After that they were taken back to the church and put into a room,” he said.

“Gomori entered and started assaulting them with a leather whip. During the assault he stripped the woman naked and assaulted her all over the body. He also indiscriminately continued assaulting her husband,” said Mr Uladi.

The court heard that the pair lost consciousness. Gomori left them in that state and went to his home.

A church member discovered that the woman had died, and the matter was reported to the police, leading to the arrest of Bishop Gomori.