Times Of Swaziland: PROPHET ACCUSED OF RAPING CLIENT DURING SPIRITUAL CONSULTATION

PROPHET ACCUSED OF RAPING CLIENT DURING SPIRITUAL CONSULTATION
================================================================================
Phiwase Phungwayo on 17/01/2025 08:29:00


MBHULENI - A spiritual consultation turned into a traumatic ordeal for a woman,
when she sought help from a prophet (umthantazi) to solve a spiritual issue only
to be sexually violated. *Menzi, the alleged rapist, who is supposedly masked as
a holy man, reportedly took advantage of *Sindi’s vulnerability, by
administering muti on her before having sexual intercourse with her without
using protection. This publication gathered that the supposed prophet was known
to help people with prayer whenever they faced difficulties in their lives. It
was also gathered that the father of Sindi’s child was allegedly well aware of
her plight, leading to him suggesting that she should consult the man thought to
be a prophet, who would assist in getting rid of the ‘spirits’ affecting her
life in a negative way. According to sources, Menzi, who resides at Mbhuleni in
Matsapha, had been previously accused by several women in the area for similar
acts, where he is believed to have tricked women into having sexual intercourse
with him to rid them of ‘evil spirits.’
Consulted
The sources revealed that Sindi had consulted the prophet through the knowledge
of the father of her child. The woman is said to have gone to the alleged
prophet’s rented flat in the area, where he purportedly administered muti. He
then reportedly raped her and after a while, Sindi realised that she had been
taken advantage of, and she reported the matter to the police. She declined to
comment when asked about the matter. She said the father of her child, who was
privy to the information, was at the police station and he would be in a better
position to comment and she shut the door. Meanwhile, residents in the area
mentioned that certain people are reportedly taking advantage of women who are
desperate for assistance, by posing as traditional healers or prophets. “We
have seen a number of women in the area being sexually violated by so-called
healers, and we have extensively warned them against it,” the residents said.
He said one man was called by authorities in the area and warned against doing
such. Assistant Superintendent Nosipho Mnguni, the Deputy Chief Police
Information and Communications Officer, confirmed that a woman was raped once
inside a house at Mbhuleni by a prophet. Mnguni said the man was arrested and
will appear in court today.
Denounced
President of the Witchdoctors Association, Makhanya Makhanya, denounced the
rapist’s actions, stating that such behaviour is abhorrent and completely
unethical to the principles of traditional healing. “A true traditional healer
regards their client with the utmost respect and compassion,” he declared.
These imposters masquerading as healers are nothing but fraudsters, preying on
the desperation and trust of the innocent. He added that even proposing a client
was a crime. He said there was no healing that came from sleeping with a client
and this offence was highly abominable.