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Sylvester Chiramba, Court Reporter
A 42-YEAR-OLD prophet from Bulawayo has been arrested for allegedly raping his 20-year-old niece several times while she was sick in Pumula North.

The man, who cannot be named to protect the identity of his victim, is the ex-husband to the complainant’s aunt. The prophet from Cowdray Park suburb allegedly promised to pray for his niece who was complaining of stomach pains.

He allegedly frequently visited the woman who was staying with his ex for prayer sessions.

The prophet allegedly raped his victim on several occasions while his ex-wife was at work. The man appeared before Western Commonage magistrate Mr Lungile Ncube charged with rape.

He was not asked to plead and Mr Ncube remanded him out of custody to February 14. Prosecuting, Mrs Memory Ndlovu told the court that the accused person visited his ex-wife whom he had parted ways with ten years earlier in October last year while she was sick.

“It was during this visit that the accused met the complainant who had come to Bulawayo to look after her sick aunt. He was told that the niece was also complaining of stomach problems and he offered to help,” she said.

“The accused person frequently visited his ex-wife’s place of residence for prayer sessions with his niece. The aunt was employed by a security company in September last year and the accused took advantage of her absence and had sexual intercourse on several occasions with the complainant without her consent.”

The court also heard that the complainant narrated her ordeal to her mother when she went to their rural home during the Christmas holiday.

Her mother reported the matter at Pumula Police Station. The niece was referred to Mpilo Central Hospital for medical examination. – @SlyCee10.