Gletwin ‘healer’ and wife jailed 35 yrs sadistic rape

A prominent self-styled traditional healer from Gletwin and his wife, a duo trusted by families seeking spiritual intervention, were handed a combined 35-year prison sentence for a sadistic campaign of sexual abuse against a 13-year-old mentally challenged girl.

The Harare Magistrates’ Court convicted the 49-year-old husband to an effective 20 years, while his 37-year-old wife was sentenced to 15 years for actively aiding the crime, which involved coercion, firearms and blatant exploitation of the victim’s vulnerability.

According to court proceedings, the horrific ordeal began in January 2026 when the victim’s mother brought her child to the shrine for healing. During the session, the healer twisted traditional practice into predation, demanding, “to have sexual intercourse with the victim as part of the healing process.”

When the mother hesitated and refused to consent, the couple escalated their coercion.

In a chilling display of force, “the offender’s wife complicitly produced a firearm-like object to threaten the victim’s mother into complying,” leaving her powerless to protect her child.

That very night, the abuse continued as the couple conspired in their own home. “The offending couple arranged a room at their residence where the self-styled healer forced the victim to undress and raped her,” the court heard.

The exploitation did not end there. The following day, with the victim’s mother forced to leave for work, “the couple again coerced and threatened the victim, leading to a second rape.”

The heinous acts only came to light on June 7, when the mother took the child to an apostolic prophet.
The prophet immediately flagged the abuse, prompting a police report that led to the swift arrest and conviction of both offenders.

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPAZ condemned the betrayal of trust, stating the agency “condemns all forms of sexual violence, especially ones perpetrated against vulnerable minors by those entrusted with their care, and warns that perpetrators will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”