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Robert Martin Gumbura

Tendai Rupapa Senior Court Reporter
There was a near stampede at the Harare Magistrates’ Court yesterday when hundreds of people — including relatives, friends and spouses of RMG Independent End Time Message leader Robert Martin Gumbura — converged to hear his fate.However, the people left demoralised after regional magistrate Mr Hoseah Mujaya said he still needed more time to prepare the judgment which had been delayed by ill health.

He deferred the matter to next   Friday. Outside the courtroom, some people openly grumbled over the postponement after the matter had been previously postponed on January 8 when the court held an inspection in-loco at Gumbura’s Marlborough mansion in Harare on the date that had initially been set for delivery of the  judgment.

“Haa tosvika rinhiko tichingouya kuno kuzonzwa judgment imi vemapepa muchingonyora kuti D-day for Gumbura, D-day yacho isingasvike yakaita sei? Mutongi anenge ari kutya kuiswa mumaoko aSatan,” a woman who refused to be identified said jokingly.
Gumbura is accused of raping seven women from his church but in his defence he denied the allegations arguing that he was in love with the women hence the sexual intercourse was consensual.

He was being represented by Mr John Ndomene of Thondlanga and Associates who was standing in for Ms Rekai Maposa.
Of late the courts have not been lenient with rapists after a serial rapist and armed robber Thomas Brighton Chirembwe, who raped 13 women in Harare and robbed them of their valuables was slapped with an effective 230-year jail term.

Regional magistrate Mr Simon Rojers Kachambwa gave Chirembwe a 290-year prison term before slashing 60 years on condition of good behaviour.

Only yesterday Mr Kachambwa sentenced a 30-year-old rapist Obert Muziri of Mbare who raped and infected his 15-year-old maid with HIV to an effective 40 years in  jail term.

Muziri a soldier by profession was convicted of two counts of rape and deliberate transmission of HIV.  The two counts of rape were treated as one count and Muziri got 20 years and an additional 20 year prison term for deliberately infecting the girl.
In passing the sentence Mr Kachambwa castigated Muziri’s behaviour.

“The accused knew that he was infected with HIV and was on treatment but he went on to rape the vulnerable girl without protection. He calls himself a soldier but he did not behave like one. He was supposed to treat the minor as his own child therefore a custodial sentence is the only appropriate sentence,” he said.

In aggravation prosecutor Ms Valery Ngoma urged the court to impose a stiffer penalty. In mitigation Muziri pleaded for the court’s leniency and asked for a non-custodial sentence.

“Your worship the accused person destroyed the complainant’s life considering that he is the one who deflowered her and on top of that infected her with HIV.

“To worsen matters, at one time he raped her in front of his minor children who could not appreciate what was happening. He raped the girl after promising her that he could get her a job at the Zimbabwe National Army fully knowing that he was lying and the girl was a minor. He imposed himself on the helpless minor and he is only attempting to hide behind his alleged mental problems with his wife and that he intended to marry her. Only a custodial sentence will meet the justice of the offence,” she said.

In mitigation Muziri pleaded for the court’s leniency and asked for a non-custodial sentence.

“Your worship, I am a married man with three minor children and my wife does not go to work. I am the breadwinner therefore I am pleading with this honorable court to impose community service so that I will be able to fend for my family,” he said.