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Tendai Rupapa Senior Court Reporter
A POLYGAMOUS Harare pastor, Martin Robert Gumbura, suspected to be a serial rapist had his bail revoked by the High Court after he allegedly threatened the victims with death if they co-operate with the police. Gumbura, who is in custody, was admitted to bail on two occasions by the higher court before he was re-arrested on similar charges.
He is being represented by Mr Emmanuel Samundombe of Antonio and Dzvetero legal practitioners.
Justice Nicholas Mathonsi revoked Gumbura’s previous bail after the state led by Law officer Mr Edmore Nyazamba filed an urgent chamber application seeking his incarceration.
Mr Nyazamba said the State was in possession of a video footage in which the founder of RMG End Time Message was threatening members of his congregation who might want to give testimony to the police.
The prosecution alleged that Gumbura said this recently while preaching during a church service while he was on bail pending trial.
It is alleged he told them that he would commit them in the hands of the devil and that death would be imminent.
Gumbura was on Monday granted a $500 bail by the High court before being brought back into the dock, facing two fresh counts of the same nature.
Justice Mathonsi suspended the bail up to December 9 to give the police room to complete their investigations and application for reinstatement of the bail can be made to the court after December 9.
So far seven women have come forward and reported their cases against Gumbura.
According to the State sometime last year, the complainant’s sister who is a member of Gumbura’s church, left for Canada with her husband and left the complainant with another church member at their house.
A day after they had left, it is alleged Gumbura took the two to his house on the pretext that it was not safe for them to stay alone at the house.
It is alleged that in January this year, Gumbura took the complainant to one of the rooms where he attempted to rape her and failed after she screamed for help.
He later raped her on a different occasion on the pretext he was testing her virginity.
The court heard that Gumbura went on to rape the girl twice on different occasions before threatening her with death spells.
Gumbura is also said to have raped a 28-year-old woman before promising to marry her.
It is the State’s case that Gumbura would always enter the bathroom while she was bathing and took photographs of her naked body.
The court heard that when Gumbura raped her, one of his wives who was in the next room ignored her screams and increased the volume of the television.
It is alleged he also raped another woman from his church after taking her to his house on the pretext he wanted to counsel her for dating a non-church member.
The woman reportedly fell pregnant on two occasions and Gumbura forced her to abort.
Gumbura allegedly sexually abused one of his wives’ younger sister.
Online Reporter