The first complainant, who was 14 years old at the time of the alleged offences, delivered a surprising testimony, denying any sexual involvement with Chokurongerwa.
The complainant, a member of Chokurongerwa’s sect and resident of Lily Farm in Nyabira, asserted that her child, born on January 27th this year, was fathered by a man named Tinashe.
She directly challenged the 99.99% DNA evidence presented by the State, which indicates Chokurongerwa as the father, stating that she could not understand how the results could be accurate given her claim of only having sexual relations with Tinashe.
All three complainants were 14 years old when the alleged rapes occurred, between February 2022 and March 2023. The State alleges that Chokurongerwa, leveraging his position of authority within the church, abused his influence to rape the teenagers. The matter came to light in March this year after the alleged actions became public knowledge, prompting a police investigation. One of the victims was rescued from a safe house in Mufakose.
During questioning, she reportedly displayed hostility, attributed by investigators to the church’s indoctrination, which allegedly encourages sexual relations between married male congregants and young girls.
Chokurongerwa, represented by Musindo Hungwe, pleaded not guilty before Magistrate Estere Chivasa. His defence centred on the assertion that none of the three complainants ever voluntarily lodged a complaint of sexual assault against him. He argues that the charges lack a valid criminal complaint as required by law, rendering any prosecution unlawful.
Parts of his defence outline read: “Assuming that there had been any criminal complaint lodged against him, (which is denied), the said complaint was not made to the first available person to whom the complainants would have been expected to make it at the first available opportunity. He will state that to the best of his knowledge, none of the three supposed complainants ever implicated him in any way. In fact, in their statements to the police, they actually identify other individuals distinct from him, as being the persons they were sexually involved with to the exclusion of him.”
Chokurongerwa further accused the State of a witch-hunt, claiming the medical evidence of penetration is irrelevant given the complainants’ identification of other individuals as responsible for their pregnancies.
DNA paternity tests were conducted on all three children and Chokurongerwa at the National University of Science and Technology. The State claims the results confirm Chokurongerwa’s paternity, and the DNA Paternity Test Certificates are being held as exhibits to be produced during the trial. The trial continues, with the testimony of the first complainant highlighting a significant discrepancy between the State’s case and the victim’s account.
