A 17-year-old girl alleged yesterday that RMG Independent End Time Message founder Martin Gumbura demanded that all girls due for marriage first have sex with him so as to get clearance to wed in the church.
She said after raping her early this year, Gumbura told her not to "dish out sex to boys who are non-believers" because he could satisfy her.
Testifying in the Victim Friendly Court in the case in which Gumbura is alleged to have raped six other women from his church, the girl said the pastor sexually assaulted her from November last year until recently.
She says she started living with Gumbura after he convinced her that she could not stay with her parents because they were non-believers.
The girl said several other girls stayed at Gumbura's house after being separated from their "non-believing" families.
"The accused said if I told anyone about the offence no one would believe me because other girls he slept with protected him," she said. "I could not reveal the sexual abuse to my own sister because she too had sex with the pastor before she got married."
She said before she was raped, Gumbura asked her to write a testimony accepting the doctrine of polygamy, total separation from her parents and teachings that young girls can marry older men from the church.
"My friends advised me to include in my testimony that I was HIV positive and that I slept with many boys, so as to protect myself against the pastor," said the girl. "After reading my testimony, the pastor said he would offer me sex because I was already sexually active."
She said she was first raped at Gumbura's house in November 2012 after writing Ordinary Level exams when she went upstairs to collect her nightdress.
“He got me into a dark room, lifted me and pressed me against the wall before raping me. He asked me not to say a word about the event because he would commit me in the hands of Satan and told me that he wished to see me wed in church,” she testified.
The second alleged rape happened two weeks later at a cottage at the residence of the man of the cloth. Towards Valentine’s Day this year, after denying the girl permission to go home and get her O-Level results, Gumbura allegedly cornered her at the same cottage.
“I was menstruating and he ordered me to remove the sanitary pad and wash my private parts,” she said. “I asked him to forgive me and let me go, but he said he was punishing me for trying to reveal the offence.
“After raping me, he praised me for satisfying him sexually and said I would make a good wife.
“He then showed me a video on his mobile phone in which he featured with several women having oral sex. In February, I asked my mother to come and get me from that place. I never returned there.”
The founder and leader of RMG End Time Message says he plans to increase his church membership by having many wives and children to counter the many couples who are withdrawing from his church in protest against his polygamous doctrine.
In a wide ranging interview, polygamous apostle Robert Martin Gumbura said he has decided to have many wives and children who support his doctrine.
Gumbura said that following his polygamy doctrine, he faced a major exodus from his congregation while he was based in Gweru. He was left with less than 50 people and he had five wives at that time.
This week he paraded his NINE WIVES saying he has no reason to cheat with married women when he has many wives to quench his sexual appetite. Gumbura claims that he takes a lot of fruits and good meals to gain power to sexually satisfy his many wives in bed.
He is now spreading the word of God through his sexual power and is targeting 20 wives and many children to achieve his goal.
“These are my nine wives and 28 children with me today and I am targeting 20 wives who will bear me many children. It is better to teach my children and wives my doctrines rather than struggling with couples who are against it.
“Men are not being honest enough with their spouses. Many are not able to have one wife without cheating or having a hidden small house. As I read the Bible I discovered that Old Testament leaders had many wives who became their followers and that is the route I am taking.
“Many followers deserted me after I preached about polygamy in October 2000 and I was left with less than 50 people. As my wives bear many children, I will have many followers to my ministry since many are leaving me because of that truth I am preaching.
“I paraded my wives to all my church branches and from there I am losing membership as women go against it even though their husbands understood the bible verses. I am not after married women; all these (9 wives) are here for me and I built houses for them in different towns and they are not suffering.
“All my children are with me here and I have sisters’ and brothers’ cottages where I accommodate church members. I am openly teaching about polygamy in my church and I encourage them to follow that doctrine and as we speak I have six leaders under me who are polygamous,” said Gumbura.
Gumbura said that biblical Apostle Paul’s teaching found in the book of Timothy instructing leaders to be men of one wife was meant for that particular church and he (Paul) had no wife.
On HIV and AIDS, Gumbura said his wives were faithful and the danger will only be brought by him, if he was to cheat.
“That teaching was from a single man to a particular church but as you read through the bible many renowned leaders had many wives and I am one such leader,” said Gumbura.
“My wives are very faithful and protected that I trust them; if AIDS is to be found among us, I will be the one to blame and I am not a cheater. I eat fruits and good meals to boost my immune system to have power to have sex with my many wives to their satisfaction.
“If there is any one of them who is not being satisfied I can go out so that she can be open to speak to you over that. If the claims raised in 2000 about me impregnating 40 percent of married women were true how come no one is claiming maintenance from me?
“The allegations are being brought by people who left my ministry and they are part of those leaving the church and want to see me falling. I am not going to retaliate because I am above the situation,” said Gumbura
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