Own Correspondent|Johane Masowe yeChishanu Church leader Lloyd Gwasarira (popularly known as Madzibaba Moses), who was facing rape charges, on Monday walked out of court a free man after he was cleared at the close of the State case.

Gwasarira, through his defence, stated that the allegations were made up by the complainant to get the sympathy and attention of her husband.

In her ruling, Harare provincial magistrate Mrs Bianca Makwande raised critical questions as to why the complainant went to meet Gwasarira alone for the second time after she had been allegedly raped and why she did not reveal both counts to her husband.

The State was alleging that sometime in February 2016, Gwasarira approached the complainant at her house in Waterfalls and claimed that he wanted to assist her to get her husband out of jail after he had been convicted for rape.

The court heard that Gwasarira invited her for a meeting with his colleagues who were “connected to higher offices” near Waterfalls Shopping Centre.

They entered a lodge opposite the shopping centre, but when they got into a room, no one was there.

When the complainant inquired on the whereabouts of the “connected” colleagues, Gwasarira was alleged to have demanded sex before helping her.

The complainant, the State argued, tried to escape, but he overpowered her. After the alleged rape incident, Gwasarira purported to make a phone call to a former police boss and later a Central Intelligence Organisation boss who would facilitate the release of the complaint’s husband.

Two weeks later, the State continued, Gwasarira told the complainant to meet him at Parktown shops so she could meet his wives, but when they got to his house, no one was there.

He advised her that he was still helping her and wanted to have sex with her again.

The court heard that she tried to leave the house, but he had locked the doors before he raped her.

The complainant’s husband was released on bail pending appeal on March 10, 2016, and she later revealed the rape to him in July 2019.

First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa once visited to his shrine in Highfield, Harare, last year

To match the congregants and as a way of obeying the rules of the shrine, the first lady removed her shoes and wrapped herself in a white cloth.

“Our first lady has been an exemplary mother, a mother who does not discriminate against her children, but loves all of them despite their shortcomings and this is what she has shown us.”

Addressing the congregation, the first lady said it was not something new for her to visit the shrine as she was once a member of an apostolic sect before getting married to the president.

“This visit is special to me as I can recall my days when I used to worship with Madzibaba Gibson. I was once part of the apostolic sect when I was still in Mashonaland Central under Madzibaba Gibson, but because of marriage, I had no option, but to change,” she said.