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Musawenkosi Moyo
A 41-YEAR-OLD self-styled traditional healer from Inyathi has been arrested for allegedly raping a 15-year-old girl during a cleansing ritual.
Adfali Ndlovu appeared before Bulawayo regional magistrate Sibonginkosi Mkandla facing rape charges.
He pleaded not guilty, and the matter was remanded to 6 January 2025, for continuation of trial.
In his defense, the accused denied the allegations and tried to pin the blame on the family’s male helper.
The complainant’s grandmother told the court that the accused had told them to leave the child and that since the incident, the complainant had completely changed her behaviour.
The court heard that on 14 November 2024, the complainant, in the company of her grandparents, went to the accused person’s homestead so that he could cleanse the complainant after the family had conducted a ceremony which revealed that the complainant was supposed to be cleansed.
It was heard that the accused told them that he would do the rituals the following day and requested that the complainant sleep at his residence. The grandparents left the complainant with the accused, meaning to come back in the morning.
The court heard that the following day around 3am, Ndlovu took the complainant to a bushy area and, under the guise of performing a cleansing ritual, commanded her to remove her clothes.
He then proceeded to bathe her with water, grabbed her, forced her to lie down on the ground, opened her legs, and allegedly raped her.
The matter came to light when the complainant’s teacher noticed that she was behaving differently and asked one of the complainant’s friends to try and speak to her.
The victim revealed the matter to her friend, who then told the teacher. The matter was reported to the police, leading to the arrest of the accused.
Online Reporter