HARARE, March 15 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A self-proclaimed Apostolic prophet who kept more than 250 children on his property has been arrested in Zimbabwe.
Police said that Ishmael Chokurongerwa, 56, led a sect with more than 1,000 members in Harare.
The children were allegedly used as cheap labour. Unregistered graves, believed to be of infants, were also found.
Police said that they arrested Ishmael and seven other members for “criminal activities” and the abuse of minors.
The Zimbabwe Republic Police released a statement saying that the arrest followed a raid that took place at the property on March 12.
Officers discovered that some 246 out of the 251 children staying at the property had no birth certificates.
The children did not attend any official place of education, police said, and instead were doing manual work – “for the benefit of the sect’s leadership” – and “being taught life skills”.
Nine graves were found for adults and seven for infants that were dug without official registration, police added.
Video footage taken by local media during the raid showed women dressed in white complaining that the police in riot gear were taking away their children.
One of the sect leaders tells a reporter that God forbids children going to school.
Chokurongerwa, who has been described as a “self-styled prophet”, led the sect which was located at a farm about 34km north-west of the capital, Harare.
The other seven members of the sect who were arrested worked with Ishmael Chokurongerwa.
The arrest has sparked conversations about the impact Apostolic faith sects can have on both health and education in Zimbabwe and beyond.
UN children’s agency Unicef estimates that more than two million people in Zimbabwe follow Apostolic churches.
A report by the agency found that some 6% of the Zimbabwe population belong to such church groups. — NNN-AGENCIES