A BULAWAYO pastor allegedly raped a 16-year-old girl after claiming her family was haunted by evil spirits and also that his manhood drives out demons.
Greatness Tapfuma (33) of Kingdom Rulers International Church appeared before Western Commonage magistrate Willard Mafios Moyo on Wednesday facing rape charges. Prosecutor Mufaro Mageza told the court that in October last year, Tapfuma proposed love to the victim who was a member of his church, but was turned down.
During the same month, Tapfuma invited the girl to his Cowdray Park house and told her of a “prophecy” claiming her family was being attacked by demons and needed cleansing. She told the victim that part of the cleansing would involve her sleeping with him.
“He told me that if I did not sleep with him my father was going to die and I be turned into a Satanist,” the girl said in court. Tapfuma allegedly grabbed the girl and had sex with her three times without her consent.
The man of cloth was not asked to plead and was remanded out of custody on $300 bail.
Last year, Tapfuma was acquitted of rape charges after two members of his church accused him of sexually abusing them.
It was alleged that he raped the women aged 25 and 22 respectively, after inviting them to his house for prayers.