Online Reporter
Zvikomborero Parafini
THE mother of a girl, who was allegedly raped by Madzibaba Gathry Chirodzero at his home, claims the controversial faith healer threatened her with a gun when she resisted his attempts to rape the minor.
Madzibaba Gathry was back in court yesterday where he is facing allegations of raping the minor with the help of his wife, Diana Chauke (37), who is the second accused.
The complainant’s biological mother, who is 45 and whose name has been withheld to protect the girl’s identity, is the third accused in the raping of the minor.
Madzibaba Gathry is denying the rape charges.
Yesterday, gruesome details emerged in court as Madzibaba Gathry, his wife and the mother’s child testified.
The mother’s child took aim at Madzibaba Gathry in her testimony.
“You used a bottle to cut my daughter and you put the blood in a bottle before you sat on her and started slapping her,” she said.
“I put it you that you sent your wife to call my daughter and told my daughter that you had resolved that you had to have sex with her for her siblings to be healed.
“Initially, you asked me to look for someone to sleep with my child for the problem to end and, after your insistence, I ended up saying I was going to look for someone to sleep with my child in a bid to stop you from asking me that.
“Your wife said I was delaying the healing process by going to look for the person when you were there and you supported her, is that not true?”
She claimed Madzibaba Gathry instilled fear in her when his wife brought a gun and handed it to him.
“Is it not true that you said you were going to kill me because I was refusing to allow you to sleep with my child?
“And when you pointed the gun at me and that’s when I said you can do whatever you want as I feared for my life.”
She claimed Madzibaba Gathry’s wife said it was fine for her husband to sleep with the minor in their bedroom, while she was going to sleep elsewhere.
She claims that was the occasion Madzibaba Gathry allegedly raped her daughter.
Madzibaba Gathry stuck with his defence outline that he was introduced to the complainant’s family, through a neighbour, as they were seeking spiritual help a family member who was mentally disturbed.
He told the court that he prayed for her using a water plant, which he referred to as garadziva, which the family had to use when they were bathing.
Madzibaba Gathry insisted that he never raped the child and her family had come up with the false allegations against him because they failed to pay him the money he charged them to heal their daughter.
He dismissed allegations that he threatened the girl’s mother with a gun and he told the court that he doesn’t own a gun.
Prosecutor Tracy Mundanga claimed Madzibaba Gathry had used his magical powers to cause the victim’s brother to become mentally unstable.
“You had a motive to make the brother insane because when he set foot at your house he was okay and you made him mad.
“The mother was surprised to hear that her son was insane, you made him mad in order to disarm the mother and her children so that you could rape the complainant.
“Your desire to sleep with the child was born out of your cruelty and they don’t owe you anything, it’s a cooked up story,” said Mudanga.
Madzibaba Gathry’s wife, Diana Chauke, also took the stand in her defence case.
She told the court that on the day in question, she went to sleep earlier than usual and the reason why she didn’t sleep in her bed was different from the State’s claims.
“I went to sleep earlier than them and I didn’t sleep in our matrimonial bedroom as I was on my period and I’m regarded as unclean and cannot share a bed with the healer,” she said.
She told the court that her son came to the room where she was sleeping and told her that he had seen his father, and the complainant, in his bedroom.
“I went to the bedroom and found the complainant sleeping on her own and observed that there was dirty underwear which had dust and a brownish colour.”
She told the court that she then offered her fresh underwear.
Prosecutor Mundanga intervened.
“You didn’t ask the child what had happened to her because you knew what had happened, because you had sent her to that room.
“You’re pulling your child into this case when you knew that you assisted your husband by taking the gun to threaten them, took the complainant to his lap and you told her that she was now your husband’s wife.
“The following morning when your husband wasn’t done, he asked to do it again and when she refused you were called in to make it happen and you did as you were taught and made sure that she obliged and she was raped for the second time,” said Mundanga.
Chauke denied these allegations.
Trial is expected to resume on Thursday.
