Zimpapers Logo

Codelia Mondela, Court Reporter
A BULAWAYO prophetess who performed “surgery” on a woman’s private parts which resulted in her bleeding excessively and subsequently dying, has  been ordered to perform 630 hours of community service.

Excillia Mhiti (30) of Emakhandeni suburb removed a growth on Mpumelelo Ndlovu’s privates after the prophet, Edward Machengo (53), attended to her at their shrine.

The prophet then requested Mhiti to “operate” on the deceased in November last year.

After the “operation” which was conducted at Johane Masowe shrine in Emakhandeni, Ndlovu bled non-stop and died a week later.

Mhiti pleaded guilty to charges of culpable homicide while Machengo pleaded not guilty before Bulawayo regional magistrate Mr Joseph Mabeza.

The magistrate found Machengo not guilty and acquitted him after a full trial.

He said Mhiti was not trained to perform such operations.

“The operation was performed in a bush and was not supervised. As a result the deceased lost a lot of blood,” Mr Mabeza said.

The magistrate sentenced Mhiti to three years in prison and 18 months were suspended on condition that she does not commit a similar offence in the next five years.

The remaining 18 months were suspended on condition she performs 630 hours of community service.

Mhiti pleaded with the court to give her a lesser sentence, saying she performed the operation out of ignorance.

“I was only trying to help her since she came to the shrine seeking help. I will not repeat such an offence again,” she said.

Prosecuting, Mr Tinashe Dzipe said Ndlovu went to a Johane Masowe shrine hoping to be cured of a growth that had developed on her privates.

“On November 7 last year, the deceased was attended to by Machengo, a prophet at the shrine who requested Mhiti, a prophetess, to attend to her,” he said.

“Mhiti used a razor blade to cut the growth on the deceased’s privates and she started to bleed. The bleeding did not stop until she passed away on November 15.”

Mpumelelo did not seek medical attention, leading to her death. — @MondelaC