HARARE - Robert Martin Gumbura, Independent End Time Message founder, is back in the dock, facing two fresh counts of rape.
The controversial pastor is accused of raping a 17-year-old Shurugwi girl (name withheld) in 2009.
It is alleged that the girl’s father passed away in February 2009, before a member of the church took over her educational welfare.
The girl also became a member of the church, before she started staying at Gumbura’s Marlborough house.
In January this year, the court heard, Gumbura took the girl into one of the rooms during the night, before asking her to kiss him.
He allegedly attempted to rape the girl, claiming he wanted to test her virginity. The girl screamed and he let her go.
Gumbura later asked the girl to accompany her to Chisipite on a different day, where he demanded to have sex with her.
He allegedly raped the girl, before repeating the same act on another day, after playing pornographic videos, featuring him and other women.
On the second count, the court heard, Gumbura raped a 28-year-old South African woman.
It is alleged the woman joined Gumbura’s church in 1998 in Shurugwi.
She allegedly passed through Gumbura’s Kadoma house, intending to proceed to his farm in 2002.
Gumbura asked the woman to remain at his house, on the pretext that she would be helping his wife with household chores.
He allegedly adopted the woman as his child and she began staying at any of his houses in Kadoma, Gweru and Harare.
The court heard that in 2003, Gumbura openly told the woman that he wanted to have sex with her, before threatening her with death if she refused to comply.
The woman often ran away from Gumbura, each time she heard him approaching.
According to State papers, Gumbura called that “a demon of disobedience and rebellion.”
The woman later went to Gumbura’s Greendale house. After taking a bath, Gumbura allegedly raped her, while his wife and other church sisters who were present closed the doors and increased the TV volume.
He continued demanding sex from the woman, who could not report the matter to the police, based on Gumbura’s doctrine that Christians do not take each other to court, but resolve their issues in church.
Magistrate Tendai Mahwe remanded Gumbura in custody to December 9.