HARARE - Harare regional magistrate Hosea Mujaya will today deliver judgment in Independent End Times Message founder Robert Martin Gumbura’s case in which he is facing multiple rape charges.
Prosecutor Jonathan Murombedzi closed the State’s case on December 20 last year, after leading evidence from 12 witnesses.
Gumbura, who has 11 wives and 30 children, denied the allegations, claiming the women were fabricating stories against him under the influence of Spoken Word Ministries pastor Godwin Chitsinde.
He claimed he was being persecuted for being a “Good Samaritan”.
According to State papers, Gumbura allegedly raped a 28-year-old South Africa-based woman (name withheld) after she joined his church in 1998.
Prosecutors allege that one of the rape offences were committed in January 2005, when Gumbura picked a parishioner (name withheld) from her workplace to his house for counselling because she had engaged in a relationship with someone who was not a church member.
Gumbura allegedly raped the woman, before repeating the act the following week. The woman reportedly fell pregnant on two occasions but Gumbura forced her to abort.
The State claims Gumbura also sexually abused his sixth wife’s sister, after luring her to buy ice cream after a church service in November 2005.
Further allegations are that he sexually molested another woman in 2009, after she was called to Gumbura’s offices by Tendai Ganyani.
He allegedly raped another 17-year-old Shurugwi girl (name withheld) in January last year.
The controversial pastor faces another separate charge of contravening the Censorship Act, after he was found in possession of several pornographic materials.
Meanwhile, eight other women from his church including some of his wives, were yesterday back in court for their trial on allegations of possessing pornographic materials.
The eight are Choice Neganye, 32, Amadeus Mutakwa, 32, Rutendo Sekai Mandiya, 28, Pamela Kandawire, 27, Runyararo Musvosvi, 27, Veronica Mbanga, 27 Tendai Kwatara, 34 and Moreblessing Takawira, 35. They are currently out on $30 bail each.
The women’s trial failed to kick off yesterday after their lawyer Rekai Maposa told the court that she was not ready to proceed.
According to State papers, the women were allegedly found in possession of 16 pornographic DVDs and 57 photographs of the women posing nude, following a police raid.
The women were arrested after police officers received information claiming incidences of child abuse at number 6 Helena Close, Marlborough, in Harare.
Their trial has been deferred to January 14.