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Vitalis Kavele Court Reporter
Harare-BASED Pentecostal Church in Zimbabwe leader Epias Jengere (40) and three other men have appeared in court for allegedly assaulting a soldier who refused to be part of a stage-managed exorcism. Jengere, Rueben Pavari (27), Leon Musakura (23) and Tapuwanashe Chimasha appeared before a Mbare magistrate on Tuesday facing charges of assault.

The four men deny the charges, saying the complainant is truly demon-possessed.

The court heard that Moreblessing Hove, a Bulawayo-based soldier, confided to a friend that she always dreamt she was having sexual intercourse with an unknown man following her husband’s death two years ago.

Hove was advised to seek help from Jengere, who was said to be performing miracles that were beamed on free-to-air channel, BOSTV.
On January 31, she approached the pastor, who allegedly asked her to help him stage-manage the casting out of a demon so that he could draw more congregants to the church.

Jengere allegedly promised to pay Hove an undisclosed amount of money. The court was told that Jengere, Hove and the pastor’s lieutenants went into a studio-like setting and dramatised an exorcism.

However, Hove was not pleased that the whole thing was being captured on video and said she wanted to pull out of the deal.
Jengere, it is alleged, ordered Musakura and Chimasha to manhandle Hove to allow shooting of the video to continue.

He allegedly punched Hove in the face and then tripped her as she cried.
Hove escaped from the room and the pastor`s assistants followed her and offered her US$2 000 to buy her silence, the court heard.

She reported the matter to the police leading to the arrest of the four.
The trial continues on February 11.