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Nyore Madzianike
Senior Court Reporter
A self-styled traditional healer yesterday appeared in court facing allegations of raping his teenage client after claiming that the encounter would heal her menstrual problem.

Steven Nyasha Mabviregudo (35) of Stoneridge, Harare, appeared at the Harare Magistrates Court charged with rape. Mabviregudo was not asked to plead to the charges when he appeared before magistrate Mr Dennis Mangosi, who remanded him in custody to April 26.

Mr Lancelot Mutsokoti, prosecuting, alleged that on March 3 at around 9am, the 19-year-old girl visited Mabviregudo at his place of residence seeking healing for her menstrual problem.

Mabviregudo allegedly told the girl that he wanted to put some medicines into her private parts and that needed to be done at a private place.

The 35-year-old traditionalist allegedly told the girl that he wanted to use his manhood to push the medicines into her private parts.

He then took her into his bedroom where he raped her.

It is alleged that after raping the girl, Mabviregudo told her that she was possessed with evil spirits and should regularly visit him for cleansing.

The court heard that Mabviregudo threatened the girl that she will turn blind if she disclosed the incident to anyone.

He also allegedly told her that her mother will die with the rest of her family spending their entire lives on the streets if she revealed the ordeal to anyone.

It is alleged that Mabviregudo would rape the girl each time she visited his place of residence on the pretext of cleansing her.

The matter came to light on April 9 when the girl revealed the sexual abuse to her mother who took the matter to the police.

Mabviregudo was then arrested and taken to court charged with rape.