Online Reporter
YESTERDAY we ran an article about a member of the Johanne Marange church who proposed to marry a 12-year-old girl whom he is being accused of raping at his home in Budiriro.
Jobho Nyazema sent his relatives to the girl’s parents pleading with them that they should let him take her in as his latest wife.
The girl is a friend of Jobho’s 12-year-old daughter.
Jobho and the girl’s parents are members of the Johanne Marange Church.
It has since emerged that Jobho allegedly raped the girl when she came to play with her friend. The girl did not report the rape incident.
Jobho then sent his emissaries to the girl’s family where they proposed that the parents should allow her to become his latest wife.
One of the parents reported the case to the police.
Jobho, a resident of Budiriro Cabs, has since disappeared and remains at large. Police sources said the case was reported at Budiriro Police Station under RRB 6643998.
The victim has since been taken to the hospital for medical examinations.
It’s just the latest of many cases, which are before our courts, in which members of the Apostolic sect are being accused of violating the rights of these minors.
Last year, the leader of Johane Masowe eChishanu Gorejena Penyeranyika Sect, Madzibaba Ishmael Chokurongerwa, was arrested and is facing allegations of raping three juveniles, who are part of his congregation, and impregnating them.
On the first count, which took place during the period extending from February 2023 to 12 March 2024, the State claims Madzibaba Ishmael used his influence and power to rape his victim, who was then 14-years-old.
It is alleged that the victim fell pregnant as a result of the rape and gave birth to a baby girl.
The matter came to light in March last year after a tip-off was received through various social media platforms which prompted the police to investigate the issue.
What is quite clear here is that there are hundreds, if not thousands, of these issues where many of our young girls have been, or are being abused, in such circumstances.
We have played a leading role in highlighting such cases of abuse as a newspaper and we will not tire doing so because we believe that we have a huge responsibility to cast a spotlight on this.
We will remain supportive of the authorities who are working hard to destroy these monsters who have to respect for our young girls and see them as tools which should always be abused.
We have a duty as a country to keep fighting against these monsters because these young girls are the future of the country and their dreams should not be shattered in the name of just satisfying the lust of these people.
It’s a battle which we should fight to the very end because we are fighting for our future.
These monsters have no role in our society and deserve to be in jail.
Mathew Masinge