Traditional healer jailed 20 years for sodomy

Ngoni Mvukwe (31), who comes from Buhera, pleaded not guilty to three counts of indecent assault but was on Wednesday convicted by Bulawayo regional magistrate Mr Godwin Sengweni.
The magistrate sentenced him to 20 years on the first count and took the second and third counts as one for purposes of sentence and sentenced him to 10 years in prison.
The sentences were ordered to run concurrently meaning he will serve an effective 20 years.
In passing sentence, the magistrate said sexual abuse by traditional healers is now prevalent and innocent patients suffer at the hands of unscrupulous healers.
“In the present case, the accused abused three young men under the guise of healing. Accused clearly deserves imprisonment,” said Mr Sengweni.
In mitigation, Mvukwe had pleaded with the court to have mercy on him “because I wronged no one”. He claimed they all agreed to the whole process.
The State case as presented by the prosecutor, Ms Sifiso Ndlovu, was that Mvukwe operated and stayed in the Figtree area while all the complainants also work or live in the same area.
On 21 October last year, Mvukwe and the first complainant were on their way to fish when he told him that he had bad luck and that this was the reason why girls were rejecting him.
Mvukwe offered to cleanse him and the complainant agreed and they went to his residence. When they entered the house, Mvukwe ordered him to undress and he applied some charm all over the complainant’s body.
He started fondling his private parts and told him that the cleansing was not over and would continue the following day.
On 23 October, the complainant went to Mvukwe’s home at midday and when he entered the house, he was again ordered to undress and lie down. He then sodomised him.
On 21 October, at 2pm, he met the second complainant who was looking for a friend. He told him that he had bad luck which needed to be cleansed in order for him to get a job outside the country.
He told him that the cleansing involved having anal sex and the complainant agreed.
They went into his bedroom and he ordered him to undress and lie on the bed so that the cleansing could start.
He applied a jelly like charm all over his body and started fondling and caressing his private parts before sodomising him.
On a date unknown to the prosecution but during the month of October, Mvukwe met the third complainant who was on his way to a dam and told him that he had bad luck which needed to be cleansed and he could do it.
At around 2am, Mvukwe went to the complainant’s house and invited him for the cleansing process. He ordered him to follow him to his house and when they got to his room he ordered the complainant to undress. He also undressed.
He started fondling and caressing his private parts and all over his body before rubbing oil on the complainant’s body.
He would threaten his victim with death if ever they told anyone about what would have happened, but they all reported to their relatives who in turn made a report to the police.