Prophets: Wolves in sheep skin?

expected them to have their first child, at least, within a year of their wedding day.

As time flew, tongues started wagging and the blame was heaped on the wife.
In reality the problem could be either side.

They consulted a gynaecologist but trip after trip yielded no positive results.
“I went for an HSG, a special scan which detects if my tubes are blocked. They said my tubes were clear, and my womb was in a good shape and nothing should stop me from having a baby.
“Our gynaecologist gave us fertility pills while my husband was sent for sperm analysis and his results also came back okay.

“But we still could not conceive,” said Grace.
After years of childlessness, her friend told her that childless couples in Harare had been helped by a well-known Kuwadzana-based prophet and are now happy parents.
She was afraid to tell her husband who did not believe in prophets and tried her luck alone.

Grace sneaks out of her matrimonial home to the “prophet” famed for his healing powers.
Once she arrives at the shrine, the woman in her early 20s is shocked by what she sees.
The bearded “man of God” only identified as Madzibaba Minana greets her by name and quickly prophesies that she had problems with conception.

As the prophet was busy with other clients, the woman was told to come back later, but little did she know what was in store for her.
Madzibaba Minana had already fallen for the woman and the only thing left for him was to execute his plan.
Upon her return at dawn, the woman who was so desperate to have her first child was told to at least strip her top while at the same time close her eyes as the prophet prayed for her.

More and more indecipherable words cascade from the mouth of the “prophet”.
After minutes of intermittent tongue twisting and head nodding, she is asked to lie down in case she loses control.
The unsuspecting woman obliges and she is being raped.

This is one of the many cases that have seen women being raped by some so-called prophets or faith healers.
More often than not, women have become easy-targets for these criminals. Why? Could it be that women have faith in these self-proclaimed “Holy” individuals?
Could it be lack of education, or awareness about the possible dangers?

The media have been at the forefront publishing the acts of these criminals.
It has also remained questionable why women continue to succumb to abuse from prophets, with some saying it is due to the proverbial Shona idiom, “kwadzinorohwa matumbu ndiko kwadzinomhanyira.”

Social commentators say faith is difficult for people to fully understand.
They say the women should however, be on the lookout for signs of intended abuse as well as guard against creating environment conducive for such abuses.
The commentators say it is critical for women visiting prophets to do so in the company for someone.

“This makes raping difficult as the person who is not undergoing the healing can detect abuse and warn the victim.
“There is no way a close relative or friend can see her sister’s breast being caressed and say that is healing. This will also ensure the false prophet will not force himself on the woman.”

Life and Liberty Churches International’s Bishop Dr Noah Pashapa said if women ever want to go for those healing session it was critical that they go with their husbands.
“Those self-styled prophets will not attempt at having a go at the woman when they are aware that the husband is there. Once you present yourself alone, you are likely to get raped,” he said.

Dr Pashapa called for legislation requiring all self-styled prophets be registered just like traditional healers.
“The rapists are taking advantage that the law is not clear on operations of prophets. While it is easy to deal with Tsikamutandas and traditional healers there is no regulation on these prophets,” he said.
A Harare woman, Mrs Ruth Mapfumo said women were putting their lives at risk.

“A married woman attending the so-called ‘healing session’ on a secluded hill with a ‘self-styled prophet’ is surely a recipe for disaster. Women should at least be reasonable and not present themselves as prey,” she said.
The director of Musasa Project Mrs Netty Mutsanhu said the abuse of women by prophets was due to lack of knowledge.

“Women need to be educated on such issues for instance if these women are beaten by their husbands, the next thing they think can end the domestic violence is by visiting a n’anga or prophets.
“Most people believe that traditional and divine intervention from faith healers is the only solution to any kind of problem but as Musasa project we are there to help women before running to faith healers.
“Such instances of abuse require counselling and not visiting these self styled prophets who are only going to take advantage of your situation to abuse you,” she said.

She said some of the problems were very simple and required proper guidance and counselling, but most women rush to these prophets where they are being abused.
Mrs Mutsanhu said her organisation was in consultation with the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and Gender and Community Development on the possibility of undertaking a nationwide campaign on the issue.
Harare police spokesperson Inspector James Sabau said they were receiving many cases of women who are being sexually abused by ‘self styled prophets’.

“Everyday we are receiving reports of such cases and we are shocked that some women take off their clothes during healing sessions.
“However we are not banning people from visiting faith healers but we urge them to be wary of such kind of ‘prophets’ who would abuse them in the process.
“We advise the women not to visit these secluded areas with strangers no matter how religious they think the individual is. They should also report any sexual advances perpetrated in time,” he said

Dr Pashapa said these fly by night prophets were not being led by the spirit of God but by the devil.
“The bible clearly speaks of false prophets and these are some of them. In our midst have also emerged false prophets who are leading God’s people astray,” he said.
An Epworth based prophet who identified himself as Madzibaba Barnabas said not all of them had a calling from God.

“It’s not all of us that abuse women as some few rotten apples can be found in a basket, but it does not mean that all of us are abusers of women,” he said.
He, however, admitted that temptation was the order of the day since they were engaged in a war with the devil.

A Johane Masowe weChishanu follower, who only identified herself as Madzimai Nyaradzo, professed ignorance on the matter.
“If you were one of our church members you were going to agree with me that it is not true.

“Why is it most women who claim to have been raped by prophets are those not from our church but ‘vanenge vauya kuzoshandirwa’. Don’t you think it is a way of tarnishing our image as ‘mapositori’,” she fumed.
Some of the women who visit prophets said they were not willing objects of abuse but the problems they were facing forced them to seek divine help from prophets.

“Some of us would have gone to nearly the ends of the world seeking solution to our problems, but with no hope in sight.
“So when a prophet suggests a solution, we readily accept whatever they say.”

The woman further said they did not report the matter to anyone because of humiliation and fear of their husbands’ reaction.
Another woman who refused to be named said: “These ‘prophets’ take advantage of the level of your desperation to abuse you.

“After telling a friend about my marital problems, she referred me to a certain prophet and this was the day I regretted ever visiting faith healers.
“He asked me what my problem was and as I was halfway narrating, he ordered me not to continue arguing the ‘Holy Spirit’ had revealed the rest to him.

“I had some evil spirits which needed to be exorcised. Madzibaba went on to put his hand in my skirt right into my undergarments and started fondling my private parts and for a moment was completely out of my senses. I later regained my normal senses and pushed him away.

“I ran out of his house and when I told my friend what had happened, she seemed not to be moved and said it was Madzibaba’s way of exorcising demons.
“At that moment, I knew my friend had also fallen prey and it took me some time to convince her that Madzibaba was indecently assaulting women but could never tell anyone.”
She said women need to be on guard against sexual advances by self-styled prophets.