HARARE - Jailed Independent End Time Message founder Robert Martin Gumbura has filed an application for bail pending appeal at the High Court after a Harare magistrate ruled that he had no jurisdiction to hear the matter.
Gumbura is currently serving a 40-year prison term. He was convicted by Harare regional magistrate Hosea
Mujaya on four counts of rape.
The 57-year-old pastor initially made an application for bail before Mujaya.
Bail applications for serious offences fall under the High Court’s jurisdiction.
Prosecutors at the Harare Magistrates’ Courts said that Gumbura has little prospects of success on appeal.
“In view of the lengthy custodial sentence that was imposed coupled with the fact that accused is yet to stand trial on another similar offence in due course, this is sufficient inducement for applicant to abscond once he is released,” prosecutor Jonathan Murombedzi warned.
He claimed Gumbura was a flight risk, considering that he has other church branches in South Africa and the United Kingdom.
However, on the other hand, Gumbura’s lawyer Rekai Maposa told the court that the conviction and sentence
was a miscarriage of justice, adding her client was not a flight risk.
The controversial pastor has 11 wives and 30 children. He made headlines after openly claiming that he desired to have 100 children.
The State closed the rape case on December 20 last year, after leading evidence from 12 witnesses.
Meanwhile, Gumbura is still to stand another rape trial, following claims by a South Africa-based woman that he raped her.
The woman failed to appear in court on December 9 last year, when the trial involving the other women kicked off at the Harare Magistrates’ Courts.
The matter is set to begin on March 31.