A woman has shared her story Goodness and Mercy Ministries prophet Tapiwa Freddy (T Freddy) allegedly took advantage of the illness and subsequent death of her husband, stalked and raped her.
Testifying during the trial, the woman told the court how she sought financial assistance from Freddy, to finance hospital bills for her bed-ridden husband and how the man of cloth insisted on dating her against her tradition and belief, soon after the death of her husband.
She also told the court how T Freddy raped her with a gun visibly placed on his shoes.
“On August 15, 2019 my husband (name withheld) who has been ill for a long time became serious and we had no money.
“On August 16 I talked to Prophet Freddy since he knew about my husband’s illness. I then asked him for financial assistance and he gave me US$2 500.
“I took my husband to Karanda Hospital before he died on August 17. Freddy assisted us with a coffin and transport from Karanda.
“He was assisting me as a church leader and whom we knew at my workplace,” she said.
The woman told the court that she visited Freddy sometime in January 2020 with intentions to thank him for the assistance he had rendered her.
“After three months, he started proposing love to me saying you are now glowing. He said since my husband had passed away he could take care of my child.
“I turned down his proposal and told him that it was a taboo in our culture to have an affair before a year had passed.
“During that time he appeared to have agreed with me. After sometime, he continued proposing love from me saying he was afraid that someone would snatch me.
“I then insisted that a year had not lapsed since my husband passed away and he suggested that we could be friends as we wait for the year to lapse,” she said.
The woman told the court that Freddy requested to visit her rural home in Chendambuya, Manicaland in November 2020 saying he wanted to assist her child with prayers since she was being stalked by evil spirits.
She agreed and they visited her rural home.
The woman told the court that Freddy allegedly raped her at her place upon their return from Chendambuya.
“When we returned, he went to sleep on the bed and placed his gun in one of his shoes. I asked him why he was on the bed and he came to stand in front of me.
“He told me that he was now my husband and he removed his shirt. He pressed me against his stomach and lifted me by the back and raped me.
“I was crying as he was forcing himself on me,” she said.
She said after the sexual attack, Freddy apologised and wiped her tears with his palm. The woman told the court that Freddy threatened her saying he would cause her dismissal from work if she disclosed the incident to anyone.
On the following morning, the woman said that she discovered some cicatrix on her legs and called her uncle informing him of the sexual abuse.
