Chronicle

Prophet denied bail

Court Reporter

BULAWAYO magistrate, Mrs Phathekile Msipa, yesterday dismissed a bail application by a prophet-cum-pastor of the Voice of Christ Church, who is facing two counts of rape and one of indecent assault of a minor.
Mhlupheki Misheck Ncube initially appeared in court on Monday and on Tuesday he made a bail application in absentia through his lawyer, Ms Ester Sarimana, of Coghlan and Welsh Legal Practitioners arguing that he was a good candidate for bail.
Dismissing his application, Mrs Msipa found that there were a number of areas that Ncube had failed to actively highlight to persuade the court to grant him bail.
The court found that he had not challenged some aspects of evidence by Constable Josephine Sabau, the investigating officer in the case.
Const Sabau in her testimony opposing bail, told the court that on 18 November, Ncube travelled to Namibia without using travel documents.
“The suspect through his lawyer did not challenge this statement as well as the fact that Ncube had tried to interfere with one of the complainants staying in Pumula South,” said Mrs Msipa.
She said Ncube was in a “better position than an ordinary citizen in the country in that you can travel out of the country without any travel document of any form".
She noted that Ncube, who is employed as a caretaker by Radio Dialogue could abscond given the seriousness of the charges and that he was likely to get a lengthy jail term which would be enough incentive for him to run away.
“You have failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that you will not abscond and not stand trial if you are granted bail,” said the magistrate before dismissing the bail application.
Ncube (46), of Number 45 A Moffat Avenue in Hillside has not been formally charged and will next appear in court on 27 December.
The 16-year-old complainant knew him as a pastor of their church.
Sometime in April this year, the complainant’s parents told the girl to go and stay with Ncube so that he could cleanse her of evil spirits.
It is the State case that between May and August this year, and on numerous occasions, he would pretend to be possessed by the Holy Spirit or to be an angel.
He would tell the complainant to share the blankets with him while naked so that the demons could be driven out.
It is the State case that while under the same blankets with the girl, he would place his private part between her thighs.
It is also the State case that on other occasions, he would call her to secluded places within his place of residence and pretend to be possessed by the Holy Spirit.
He would allegedly order her to undress and remain naked and each time she would try to refuse, the State claims, he would threaten her with death or that she would disappear for two years.
He would then allegedly order her to lie down before undressing and allegedly raping her.
At times, he would allegedly wake her up and take her to another room under the pretext that he was praying for her but would instead allegedly threaten her not to make any noise or tell anyone as, if she did so, the evil spirits would come upon her and she would die.
He would allegedly force her to undress and through fear she would comply and he would allegedly go on to rape her.
The State alleges that each time he raped her he would tell her that this was meant to cleanse her of the evil spirits.
He would allegedly further tell her not to tell her parents about her experiences as this would result in something bad happening to her family.
In October, the girl confided in another of Ncube’s female “patients” who also confirmed that the same thing was happening to her.
The girl later wrote a letter to her father who advised her to make a report to the police.
After a report had been made to the police the other two female “patients” also filed rape reports with the police leading to Ncube’s arrest.

Abaprofethi zihlobo mhmmm, mngci.

Umphrofethi Ncube madoda.

Zihlobo asazi ukuthi leligama lokuthi umphorofitha balithathangaphi lababantu. Ngoba umakwakuyilabo esafundangabo thina emagwalweni angcwele, ngempela kulomehluko omkhulu. Babeletha kuphela lokhu abakuthunywe yiNkosi uMdali ngokwakhe ebantwini bakhe mhlawumbe yisixwayiso kumbe isenzakalo nje esihle. Lokhu okwalawa amajaha akoNcube, hayi yibugebengu nje, njalo besebenzisa igama lemisebenzi emihle yabantu bakaNkhulunkulu.

Zihlobo, yikuphelelwa koMthwakazi yini okwenza abantu bayotshiya umtanako kweyinye indoda ongayaziyo ulenjongo yokuthi izakwelaphela umtwana. Kanti velekhona kithi ekadeni kungekabi layonale imoya evunguza kangaka bekusenziwani nxa umtwana engagula. Mina ngithola ukuthi umasisiya labantwana bethu kuzolezizinto ezingaqedakaliyo ukuyadinga uncedo esingalwaziyo, sisola indlela le ebisiphilisa phambilini.UNkhulunkulu ubesiphile indlela ezinhle zokuphila ngazo, kazisozezaguquka kuzekubelaphakade. Langendlela lezi ezabafundileyo ezisobala.

Ngamafitshani zihlobo, yekani ukupha amantombazana enu kuboNcube bazababamba, lomtwana wakho kafi wakuxolela ngesenzo lesi.

Kambe we sigelekeqe inga lapha uzama ukuthi lesisiga senzakala nje imbangela kuwukuthi lona mphrofetha ngowakwaNcube kumbe senginhlanhlatha nje? Caca we sigilamkhuba.

It all reminds me of u-Muntongenakudla.

Ekuhle.

Yizo izinto ezidiliza abantu. Mina ngibona laba bazali labo belecala lokuthatha umntwana ayotshiywa emizini ikakhulu kulezi izinsuku zobudlova. Useyini umntwana nxa esesenziwa inzomba ngu mprofeti loyo.

Khona kulomuntu owake walwisana lama EVIL SPIRITS akhona lawo engetheswanga lowo mlando? Umprofeti lo aketheswanga umlando ngoba UGANGILE. Ekadeni sazi babesuselwa amanqe abanjengaye. Akulunganga lokhu.

Asihlaleni siqaphele.

Yimi okaMblazi.

Bafowethu.

Yiwo wodwa amanyala uqobo. Bonela abantu abanengi. Nanku okunye okuvela e South Afrika, kubolekwa ku BBC.

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One of the most bizarre tales this year, was in South Africa when a widow refused to bury her husband's body after a local prophet said he would come back to life. When the deadline for this passed, the prophet had another vision and gave the bereaved wife another date for her husband to return.
As the bill for the body's storage at the undertaker kept rising so the deadlines came and went, reported avidly by the South African media. The story became a source of humour for South Africans until the council stepped in and ensured the body was buried. He is now resting in peace.

BBC NEWS Dec. 2004.
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Li Zwangendaba.