by RICHARD MUPONDE
A SELF-PROCLAIMED Buhera prophet has landed himself in soup after he bedded a 13-year-old girl three times before she eloped with him.
Tafadzwa Mabanga (26) of Chief Chamutsa in Buhera pleaded guilty to having sex with a minor when he appeared before Chipinge magistrate, Joshua Nembaware.
He was convicted and remanded in custody to today for sentence.
In mitigation, Mabanga pleaded for leniency and indicated that he wanted to marry the girl.
“You worship I am married with two children, one aged two years while the other is one-month old. I wanted to marry to the girl,” Mabanga said.
Prosecutor Gift Bikita told the court that sometime in August this year at around 4pm, Mabanga met the girl, who is aged 13 and doing Grade Six, on her way home from school and proposed love to her.
However, the girl turned down his proposal.
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In October, he met her again while she was in the company of her friend and she accepted.
During the same month, the girl fell sick and went to his house for a prayer session and Mabanga lured her into his bedroom where he became intimate with her with her consent.
Last month, the girl asked for permission from her mother to go to church and it was granted.
She met Mabanga and they became intimate again after which he gave her $20.
The court heard that on November 18 at around 3pm, he went to the girl’s homestead in the absence of her parents and slept with her before buying her silence with $30.
The following day, the girl eloped to his homestead and they started staying together.
The matter came to light five days later after the girl’s mother gathered that she was staying with Mabanga and made a police report, leading to his arrest.
