Yeukai Karengezeka
Court Correspondent
A self-styled prophet from Kuwadzana has appeared in court for allegedly raping a 26-year-old woman while conducting midnight prayers at her house.
Tobias Dospani appeared before Harare magistrate, Mrs Marehwanazvo Gofa, facing rape charges.
He was remanded in custody to Friday for bail application.
The court heard that on July 14 at around 9 am, the complainant and her sister went to Dospani’s shrine in Kuwadzana seeking spiritual assistance.
Dospani prayed for them and he indicated that he wanted to come to the complainant’s house for more prayers.
At around 10 pm, the accused person went to the complainant’s house.
Dospani prayed for the two women and told them that he needed to conduct another prayer at midnight.
The complainant informed Dospani that she only had one rented room but he insisted on the midnight prayer.
The complainant offered Dospani her bed while she slept on the floor. Her sister went back to her house.
At around midnight, the complainant woke Dospani up and he prayed for her. They went back to sleep.
Dospani then woke the complainant up after about an hour and asked her for sex.
When she refused, he jumped from the bed to the complainant’s blanket and started fondling her. He raped her once without protection.
The court heard that the complainant later managed to push Dospani away and locked the door.
She called her sister and told her what had happened.
When the complainant’s sister came, Dospani bolted from the room.
Dospani was later arrested at his shrine.



