THE three members of the Johane Masowe Echishanu, accused of suffocating six children to death during a baptism ceremony in Sadza early June this year, have been asked to file affidavits making an undertaking they will desist from church activities involving baptising children if they entertain chances of being released on bail.
BY CHARLES LAITON
The trio comprised of self-proclaimed prophetess Maud (31) and Naome Dzvuke (34) and Jane Ruvinga (22), appeared before Harare High Court judge, Justice Priscilla Munangati-Manongwa, who ordered them “to depose affidavits undertaking that they will desist from church activities involving baptising children”. The matter is set to be heard next Tuesday.
In her bail application filed at the High Court, Ruvinga denied intending to kill the children, saying she led the group to baptise the kids including her own with a view of cleansing them of evil spirits and genuinely believed the children needed protection from evil spirits.
“The children were all related to her and she was shocked when she realised that they had passed on and did not know what to do, thereafter. She panicked and walked away from the scene, she never intended to flee from anyone or the situation, but got confused after realising the children were dead,” her lawyers Muringani, Mandikumba and Partners said.
In her affidavit, Naome said she did not participate in the baptism, but she followed to the river, after being told that her sister, Maud, had taken her one-year old son for the ceremony in her absence.
Her lawyers said: “She (Naome) was forced to go to the pool by her sister Maud, where her sister baptised the children, including her son, who died in the process. She did not have a hand in the baptism that caused the deaths, but was only present to take her son, who had been taken away by her sister in her absence.”
The women’s co-accused, a 17-year old boy, who was also accused of suffocating the children, was last month granted $30 bail pending trial and released into the custody of his father.
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According to State papers, on the morning of June 7, Maud, Naome, Ruvinga and the teenager allegedly connived to take the children for cleansing in Mutorahuku stream at Muriwo Village, where Chido (11), Patience (9), Shamiso (4) and Mercy Pfumbidza (2) and Tafadzwa (5) and Tinotenda Dzvuke (3) all perished during the baptism process.
