malvernmugadzikwa
EDSON USHE is an apt description of a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
The 43-year-old Gweru-based deacon of the Word of Life International Ministries — a man whose purported piety practically gleamed off his polished shoes — recently found himself in a pickle.
The newly wedded man of the cloth, whose sermons could make a sinner sweat with guilt, was found in a place far less befitting a clergyman. Well, his amorous activities recently earned him a seven-month prison sentence after he was convicted of indecently assaulting two young female parishioners.
Gweru provincial magistrate Ms Beaulity Dube threw the book at the deacon for inappropriately kissing and touching the private parts and derriere of two teenagers.
Despite his pleas of innocence, the overwhelming evidence against him left the court with no choice but to find him guilty after a full trial. But the magistrate suspended three months of the sentence on condition of good behaviour. An additional four months were wholly suspended provided he paid a fine of US$400.
According to the harrowing testimonies presented in court, Ushe took advantage of the absence of the girls’ parents to exploit their vulnerability.
It is believed that on Christmas Eve last year, while the minors’ parents were in Bulawayo, the deacon shamelessly visited their residence around 7pm and stayed for approximately 30 minutes.
Little did the innocent girls know that their trust in a deacon would be shattered that night.
When they were seeing Ushe off, he seized the opportunity when their brother innocently rushed back into the house to fetch a drink by grabbing the first complainant by the waist, touching her private parts and fondling her derriere.
The second complainant also fell victim to Ushe’s reprehensible behaviour. The return of the girls’ brother was their salvation.
But Ushe was determined. He cunningly asked the second complainant to accompany him to his vehicle under the guise of opening the gate. However, at the gate, he kissed her on the forehead before inappropriately touching her derriere.
It is a testament to the strength and bravery of the victims that one of them pushed Ushe away and fled back to the safety of the house.
There, she confided in her brother, recounting the traumatic experience at the hands of the deacon. The brother wasted no time in informing their parents about the distressing ordeal. Horrified by the revelation, the parents immediately reported the matter to the police, which led to Ushe’s arrest.
If only Zimbabwe had a sex offenders’ register!
Online Reporter