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Tendai Ganyani arrives at the Harare Magistrates’ Courts yesterday

Tendai Rupapa Senior Court Reporter
A secretary working for RMG Independent End Time Message founder Martin Gumbura says police are trying to “fix” her for refusing to make false rape allegations against the church leader. Tendai Ganyani (26) made the claims before Harare magistrate Mr Donald Ndirowei. She is accused of possessing pornographic materials.

Ganyani lives at Gumbura’s Marlborough house and faces charges of possessing 16 pornographic DVDs, two pornographic magazines and 57 pornographic pictures.

Gumbura faces multiple rape charges.
Through her lawyer, Ms Rekai Maposa, Ganyani said the pornographic DVDs and magazines were recovered from a storeroom at Gumbura’s residence and the pictures were taken from a girls’ dormitory on the property.

She said the DVDs and magazines were going to be destroyed at a church convention in December.
“The police are simply fixing me for failing to adhere to their demands of also laying false allegations of rape against Gumbura,” she said.
Ms Maposa said if Ganyani had co-operated with the State in the rape matter she would not be in the dock.

Prosecutor Mr Michael Reza called the first State witness, Mr Heyi James Malaba, the chair of the Board of Censors, who told the court that all the materials alleged to have been found in Ganyani’s possession were indecent.

However, the 93-year-old witness gave the State and defence a tough time understanding what he was saying and questions often had to be repeated.

Mr Malaba appeared to stray from the line of questioning from time to time, and this seemed to get on the nerves of the defence, which got increasingly edgy.

During cross-examination, Ms Maposa said that in the absence of an independent witness or a video clip showing the proceedings at Gumbura’s house, it was Asst Insp Sengwe’s word against Ganyani’s.