Murder charge for ‘prophet’ after demon exorcism turns fatal
A GOKWE prophet has appeared in court facing murder charges after he allegedly gave a Bulilima woman a concoction supposedly to exorcise demons but it proved to be fatally toxic.
Luke Rusere (40) of the Great House of Grace Apostolic Church mixed an aloe plant, cooking oil and milk which he gave to Mrs Ketty Moyo and her husband Mr Linos Moyo on Monday.
The couple experienced stomach pains which resulted in Mrs Moyo’s death.
Rusere appeared on initial remand before Plumtree magistrate, Mr Gideon Ruvetsa, facing murder charges on Friday.
He was remanded in custody to October 21.
Mr Ruvetsa advised Rusere to apply for bail at the High Court.
Prosecuting, Mr Elisha Mazorodze said the incident occurred on October 3.
“Rusere who is a prophet in Gokwe visited his sister, Mrs Gertrude Sibanda who stays in Nswazi area in Bulilima and indicated that he wanted to open a church branch in the area.
“Mrs Moyo and her husband attended the new church on 2 October where Rusere prophesied that they needed cleansing as they were being haunted by evil spirits,” he said.
Mr Mazorodze said after the church service, Rusere visited the couple’s homestead to conduct a cleansing ceremony overnight.
He said the following morning, Rusere prepared a concoction — a mixture of cooking oil, fresh milk and a crushed aloe plant leaf.
Mr Mazorodze said Rusere gave Mrs Moyo and her husband 300 ml each of the concoction to drink to cleanse their stomachs.
“A few minutes later they started feeling stomach pains and Mr Moyo vomited the concoction but his wife didn’t. She was rushed to Madlambuzi Clinic for treatment but she died on the same day at around 2PM,” he said.
The matter was reported to the police resulting in Rusere’s arrest.
Rusere, who tried to explain the incident in court, said he gave Mrs Moyo the concoction with the intention to heal her and not to harm her.
He said he had once consumed the concoction himself but it did not harm him. — @DubeMatutu.