Police in Zimbabwe reported the detainment of an individual who identified as a prophet of an apostolic group at a complex where over 250 children were supposedly being exploited as low-cost workers. Officials also discovered 16 unregistered graves on the premises.
According to police representative Paul Nyathi, a man named Ishmael Chokurongerwa, aged 56, who claimed to be a prophet, was in charge of a group of over 1,000 followers at a farm approximately 34km (21 miles) from the city of Harare. The children were residing at the farm with other members of the sect.
A group leader claimed that the 251 rescued children were forced to do physical tasks for the sect leaders. Among the children, 246 did not have any official birth documents.
Police discovered that none of the school-aged children were receiving formal education and instead were being taken advantage of as inexpensive workers, forced to do manual labor under the guise of learning practical skills. Nyathi claimed.
Authorities reported that during the investigation, they uncovered multiple gravesites, including seven for infants. These burials were not properly recorded with the government.
According to reports, Chokurongerwa, also known as the Prophet Ishmael, was taken into custody on Tuesday when law enforcement officials conducted a search at the shrine. Seven of his associates were also detained on charges of misconduct involving underage individuals.
Nyathi mentioned that additional information would be made available “in the near future as inquiries progress”.
A tabloid owned by the government, H-Metro, was present as the police conducted a raid. The police, wearing riot gear, were seen arguing with female followers dressed in white and head coverings. The women were demanding that their children, who had been placed on a police bus, be returned to them. It is unknown where the police took the children and the accompanying women.
“Why are our children being taken away? We are content here. We do not have any issues here,” yelled a woman in a video shared on the newspaper’s X (previously known as Twitter) profile.
As reported by the newspaper, law enforcement officers used weapons, tear gas, and canines to carry out a “dramatic operation” at the religious site. Devotees referred to the location as “their sacred territory”.
In the devoutly religious nation of southern Africa, there is a strong presence of Pentecostal doctrine within apostolic groups that incorporate traditional beliefs.
Limited research has been conducted on Apostolic churches in Zimbabwe. However, studies by Unicef suggest that it is the most prominent religious group with approximately 2.5 million adherents in a population of 15 million. Some of these groups adhere to a doctrine that prohibits formal education and medical treatment, requiring members to instead rely on prayer, holy water, and anointed stones for healing.
In recent times, many have started permitting their members to access hospitals and register their children in school due to extensive efforts by the government and non-governmental organizations.
Source: theguardian.com
