D-Day for Gumbura

 Tendai Rupapa  Senior Court Reporter
Harare regional magistrate Mr Hoseah Mujaya is today expected to hand down sentence on RMG Independent End Time Message leader Robert Martin Gumbura, who was on Friday last week convicted of four counts of rape involving three women and of possessing pornographic material.

Gumbura — who has 11 wives and 30 children – faces a possible lengthy jail term. He faced nine counts of raping six women and one of possessing pornographic material.

However, Mr Mujaya cleared him of four counts relating to three other women for lack of evidence. He appeared composed when the lengthy judgment was read out.

In aggravation, the prosecutor Mr Jonathan Murombedzi with the assistance of Mrs Kudzai Chigwedere recommended a lengthy jail term citing Gumbura’s moral blameworthiness.

“His moral blameworthy is very high in view of his position as a pastor. He preyed on the flock he was supposed to shepherd and took them as sex objects.

‘‘He was selfish. He took the female congregants as his personal property which he would loan to other men. He would dictate which man shall marry a female congregant but at a price that he would be the first to be intimate with her,” Mr Murombedzi said.

He said rape was now a prevalent crime that must attract a deterrent sentence. Gumbura’s lawyers, Ms Rekayi Maposa and Mr Emmanuel Samundombe, in mitigation implored the court to exercise its powers judiciously with a dimension of leniency.

Ms Maposa said the victims benefited from Gumbura as they depended on him for survival. In his judgment, Mr Mujaya said the court was convinced that Gumbura misused his position as a pastor and abused congregants who looked up to him.