Police have rescued 251 children at Lily Farm in Nyabira following the arrest of a self-styled prophet and leader of Johanne Masowe eChishanu apostolic sect, Ishmael Chokurongerwa, better known as Madzibaba Ishmael and his seven other accomplices.
The eight were arrested for various criminal activities
including abusing minors.
Chokurongerwa (56) was arrested together with church
members, Shingirai Ngawafune (42), James Gwenzi (55), Zebedia Sigudu, Devlodge
Katsande (45), Aaron Chokurongerwa (47), Wonder Kabaya (41) and Siribinio
Chikurunhe (53).
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul
Nyathi confirmed and said investigations were still in progress.
“The arrest follows a raid made by the Police at the farm
on 12th March 2024. Investigations conducted by the Police established that 246
out of 251 children below the age of 18 years found at the farm had no birth
certificates and were being used to perform various physical activities for the
benefit of the sect’s leadership.
“Police established that all children of school-going age
did not attend formal education and were subjected to abuse as cheap labour,
doing manual work in the name of being taught life skills. At the shrine, 16
graves were found of which nine graves are for adults and seven graves for
infants. All burials were conducted without prior registration with the
Registrar-General’s office in terms of the Birth and Death Registration Act,
Chapter 5:02 or without obtaining burial orders in terms of the Burial and Cremation
Act, Chapter 5:03. More details will be released in due course as
investigations unfold,” he said. Herald
MADZIBABA Ishmael’s daughter Lisa has defended her father’s actions to establish a cult in Nyabira and dismissed claims that a lot of women, and children, were being abused at the compound. pic.twitter.com/lONg4KbQEX
— H-Metro (@HMetro_) March 15, 2024
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