By Staff Reporter
UNDERAGE girls and women have been facing serious abuse for many years at controversial apostolic leader Ishmael Chokurongerwa’s farm in Nyabira, a witness has claimed.
Chokurongerwa popularly known as Madzibaba Ishmael who was arrested last week is accused of marrying off underage girls as young as 14 from his church to elderly men for free.
It is said Chokurongerwa made a list of church rules that every one of his followers must obey.
Among them are: church members are not allowed to get birth certificates and national IDs, go to school or formal employment, get medical services and disobey mambo’s orders.
Speaking to this publication, Memory Munanairi (49) an ex-believer who also exposed corrupt and evil activities happening at that church said all her daughters were married off before 18.
“My children were married off at a very young age. They are not allowed to get relationships on their own but are given older husbands who already have many wives.
“The church leader chooses a husband for young girls and marries them off, he will just say the holy spirit is telling me that you have to marry this man. They do not pay lobola because the church law does not allow a man to pay lobola,” Munanairi said.
Madzibaba Ishmael is regarded as Mambo and anything that comes from him must be obeyed.
These vulnerable women and girls are also exposed to bizzare sexual behaviors.
“If the man has more than one wife, he sleeps with all of them on the same bed in one bedroom. If he decides he wants to have sexual intercourse with one of them, he does it in everyone’s presence,” she added.
The church allows men to marry up to twelve wives.
