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Sukoluhle Ndlovu, Midlands Correspondent
A pastor at The Covenant Temple Church in Gweru allegedly raped and impregnated his 18-year-old maid before forcing her to terminate the pregnancy with the help of other church members.

The matter came to light when the man of the cloth, Hronemous Guyo (37) who resides at house number 5402 Mkoba 15, was arraigned before Gweru Magistrate Mildred Matuvi charged with rape. He pleaded not guilty and was remanded out of custody to April 20 on $50 bail.

Details of how Guyo also impregnated two other female congregants and forced them to abort the pregnancies emerged in court when the complainant testified.

“Your worship, I lived with this man as his maid last year. He raped me twice on different occasions and l got pregnant. When I told him that I was pregnant he got angry and ordered me to abort the pregnancy and I vehemently refused. One day he took me to Population Services clinic in Mkoba 13 together with other church leaders. When we got to the clinic, I was given a pill by a staffer at the clinic and she later told me it was an abortion pill,” said the complainant.

The complainant told the court that she was encouraged to report the case by two women from the church who also suffered the same fate.

“I disclosed the matter to my two church colleagues as I was seeking help. They told me that they were also impregnated by the prophet and he also forced them to terminate the pregnancies. We then decided that l should report the matter to put a stop to women and girl abuse by the so called prophet,” said the complainant.

In his defence, Guyo told the court that he never raped the complainant because she was his girlfriend.

Miss Gracious Rongai prosecuted.