Madzibaba Ishmael hospitalized, trial fails to kick-off

Harare, (New Ziana) –The trial of controversial religious cult leader Ishmael Chokurongerwa and six of his co-accused failed to kick off in Norton on Tuesday, after remand prison officials failed to deliver them to court because they are not well and are in hospital, the National Prosecuting Authority has said.

In a post on X, the NPA said the trial was rescheduled to May 23 and 24 this year.

Chokurongerwa (54), popularly known as Badzibaba Ishmael, was arrested in March after police in riot gear and accompanied by dogs raided his shrine in Nyabira, about 34 km northwest of the capital, and rescued dozens of women and children.

He faces charges of ill-treatment or neglect of children involving 41 minors, conducting funerals or burials without burial orders, and failure to give notices of the birth and death of persons.

Chokurongerwa was recently rearrested on fresh charges of engaging in between 2018 and 2024 resulting in the birth of six infants.

Four of the cases involve girls aged thirteen, fifteen and sixteen resulting in the births of infants while the fifth case involves a fourteen-year-old girl with whom Chokurongerwa has two children.

When police raided Chokurongerwa’s compound, they found more than 1000 people including children, most of whom did not have birth certificates and did not attend school.

Chokurongerwa is not new to the courts, as in 2015 he was sentenced to five years in jail for leading an attack on police officers, journalists, and members of the Archibishop Johannes Ndanga Apostolic Christian Council of Zimbabwe at his shrine in Budiriro in 2014.

Archbishop Ndanga wanted to close down Chokurongerwa’s sect over allegations of abuse of women and children by his followers.

It was upon his release from prison that Chokurongerwa established a new shrine in Nyabira.

New Ziana