HARARE – Apostolic sect leader Ishmael Chokurongerwa, popularly known as Madzibaba Ishmael, has been convicted of raping and impregnating a 14-year-old child.
Chokurongerwa, 57, leader of the Johane Masowe eChishanu Gorejena Penyeranyika Apostolic Sect at Lily Farm in Nyabira, was found guilty of engaging in sexual acts with the girl between February 2023 and March 2024.
The victim gave birth to a baby girl in January 2024, and DNA tests confirmed Chokurongerwa as the biological father.
The matter came to light in March 2024 through a tip-off, leading to the rescue of the victim from a “safe house” in Mufakose.
Magistrate Estere Chivasa acquitted him on two counts after ruling that those complainants were adults who consented.
A pre-sentencing inquiry will begin on Friday, and Chokurongerwa remains in custody.
Chokurongerwa is also facing charges under the Burial and Cremation Act and the Children’s Act following a wide-ranging police investigation at his Nyabira shrine.
Authorities found 246 out of 251 children under 18 without birth certificates and not attending school. The children were being used as labour for the benefit of the sect’s leadership under the guise of “life skills training.”
Police also discovered 16 unregistered graves at the shrine — nine adults and seven infants — all buried without notifying the Registrar-General’s Office or obtaining burial orders as required by law.
The National Prosecuting Authority said the conviction “is a testament that no-one is above the law” and praised the courage of the victim and those who assisted the investigation.
“The protection of our children is paramount, and the NPA remains committed to rooting out all forms of sexual abuse and exploitation, especially those masked by positions of power or religious authority,” the NPA said in a statement.
