High Court Frees Randy Pastor Who Used Intimacy To “Heal” Congregants, Says It’s Not Rape

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High Court Frees Randy Pastor Who Used Intimacy To “Heal” Congregants, Says It’s Not Rape

The High Court has freed a Pastor who used to use intimacy as a means of healing and delivering his female congregants from evil spirits.

Pastor Onbeat Mapfumo was released after serving four years of a 22-year sentence after the High Court dismissed his rape conviction. Harare High Court judge, Justice Pisirayi Kwenda said the woman had consented to the intimacy and dismissed claims that there was unlawful pressure.

The founder of By Grace Ministries in Machipisa, Highfields was arrested after he was exposed by radio and television personality Tilder Moyo during one of her live shows. Mapfumo was arrested after admitting his misdeeds live on air.

He was alleged to have forced three women to be intimate with him and to have impregnated a fourth. The “man of God” appeared in court facing six charges of rape. However, in July 2017, he was convicted of raping one female congregant on two separate occasions.

After the trial magistrate sentenced him to 22-years in prison, Pastor Mapfumo appealed the case at the High Court. Justice Kwenda disagreed with the trial magistrate and said the woman had consented to the act.

He highlighted that the pastor had made it clear that he intended to bed the woman as part of the “spiritual healing process,” and she had agreed. The judge went on to say that after the first encounter, the woman had returned for another session of spiritual healing because she wanted to benefit.

While the judge deplored Pastor Mapfumo’s methods, he found them to be perfectly legal.

“To the enlightened, the method of spiritual cleansing which the complainant said she underwent was clearly of no benefit to her, and disgusting, but in her own words she sought treatment and voluntarily partook in the healing process because she believed in its efficacy,” said Justice Kwenda.

Justice Kwenda added,

“The legislature may consider amending the constitution to create an independent commission that can act as a watchdog regulating the conduct of churches and with a specific mandate to promote and protect freedoms of persons in religious communities.”