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Tsenulo Moyo
A self-styled prophet from a Mberengwa church who ordered a 14-year-old girl to strip naked, squat in a dish with milk and washed her while he sexually assaulted her has appeared in court.
Boniface Mureka (32) appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Matthew Mutiro charged with the offence of aggravated indecent assault as defined in Section 66 (B) of the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act Chapter 9:23. He pleaded not guilty to the offence. The trial continues.
In his defence, he said the complainant’s father had requested him to reprimand his daughter alone because of her naughty actions which is why he stayed with the accused’s daughter alone. He also said the complainant’s father was laying the abuse allegations against him for his vendetta. The complainant’s father who was also a witness in the case said Mureka came to their place of residence to perform prayer rituals for his family and was paid $40.
“Mureka said he wanted to use milk to perform prayer rituals for my daughter so that she performs well at school,” the witness said.
He said Mureka opened his wallet and told the child to sniff it and afterwards ordered the child to put her face inside the dish with milk. Mureka is said to have also ordered the complainant’s parents to go outside while he performed prayer rituals for the girl alone.
He said when the accused was left alone with the complainant, he asked her if she was brave and able to keep a secret. Mureka also asked if the child was able to remain home alone because the prayer rituals he wanted to perform on her required them being alone.
“My daughter said she does not remain home alone which led the accused to perform the rituals he had in mind that day,” he said. Mureka is said to have instructed the complainant to collect the dish and bring it to him. The witness said Murewa proceeded to place a dish in between her legs, washed her private parts using the milk while inserting his fingers into the child’s private parts and only stopped when the complainant shoved off his hands after being exposed to the pain.
He also said the prophet instructed the complainant to sit on her clothes, while caressing her legs and blew some air into the complainant’s private parts.
“The complainant called us back inside the house after about 25 to 30 minutes,” he said.
He said inside the house they prayed for the second time and the prophet bid farewell saying he was done. The complainant’s father said the child was now suffering from constant headaches and stomach pains because of the ordeal she suffered at the prophet’s hands. The incident occurred on 28 June.
Online Reporter