In a disturbing case, Ishmael Chokurongerwa, a self-proclaimed prophet and cult leader from Zimbabwe, has been brought before the court on charges of child abuse. This comes after police raided his farm and rescued over 200 minors from what they described as “hard labor.”
According to a police statement, these minors were subjected to exploitation, forced to engage in manual labor under the guise of being taught life skills. Shockingly, among the rescued children, many were not attending school, and a significant number lacked birth certificates.
During the raid, authorities made a grim discovery of 16 unregistered burial sites, including seven intended for newborns. Chokurongerwa, 56, along with seven members of his church, was detained following the operation at their property in Nyabira, located approximately 30 kilometers west of Harare.
Confirming the developments, police spokesperson Paul Nyathi stated, “I can confirm that they appeared in court today. There are many charges. We are still investigating, so more charges may come up.”
Reports from state media outlet H-Metro indicate that Chokurongerwa and his associates will remain in custody until March 19 for a bail determination. They are facing charges under the Burial and Cremation Act as well as the Children’s Act.
