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‘Church bishop rapes congregant’

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Bishop Danmore Magorimbo appeared at the Harare Magistrates’ Court charged with raping one of his congregants in the name of cleansing her of evil spirits

LEADER of the Abundant Life Global Ministries (ALGM), Bishop Danmore Magorimbo, yesterday appeared at the Harare Magistrates’ Court charged with raping one of his congregants in the name of cleansing her of evil spirits transmitted into her body by her husband.

CHARLES LAITON SENIOR COURT REPORTER

After allegedly raping the woman, Magorimbo (45) is also alleged to have solicited the help of his intercessor, co-accused Leeshalow Kambiro (27), to ask the woman to accept, rejoice and celebrate her cleansing since she had been highly favoured “by God just like the Biblical Mary”.

Both men were not asked to plead when they appeared before Harare magistrate Milton Serima, who remanded them in custody to November 11.

The State alleges that sometime in April this year at the church’s premises at 1 Hampden Road in Belvedere, Magorimbo approached the woman who was in the prayer room and invited her to his office claiming he wanted to conduct a cleansing ceremony to drive away her evil spirits.

In the office, Magorimbo allegedly misrepresented to the woman that her husband transmitted evil spirits into her body each time they had sex.

It is alleged, Magorimbo then had sex with the woman to “exorcise her”.

The following day, the court heard, Magorimbo called the woman in the presence of Kambiro and again raped her inside his office.

After the act, Kambiro allegedly warned her against doing anything that would bring harm to the man of God even to try and manipulate him in any way given what had transpired.

The woman, however, spilled the beans to other congregants, leading to the two men’s arrest.