By Nkhensani Mthombeni
- Confidence Monyela raped five teenage girls who were ushers at his church and told them sex was how he “transferred the Holy Spirit”.
- The victims were left traumatised, bullied at school and forced to drop out after news of the abuse spread through the community.
Confidence Monyela, a self-proclaimed prophet from Mariveni Village, has been sentenced to two life terms for rape, plus 35 years behind bars for other sex crimes.
The Lenyenye Magistrate’s Court heard that Monyela raped five teenage girls in 2017. The girls were ushers at his church, and he told them he needed to pray with them in private.
Once alone, he would sexually assault them. Monyela claimed the sex was a spiritual ritual and told the girls it was how he passed on the Holy Spirit.
The victims were all underage. One said she was bullied at school and in her neighbourhood after the attacks. Another dropped out completely because of the shame.
Monyela, 40, pleaded not guilty. But Magistrate Carol Hon’wana said being a first-time offender and the family’s breadwinner didn’t make him special. She said his crimes deserved the harshest punishment.
He got life sentences for the first two rapes. For the next three rapes, he got 10 years each. He also got five years for a separate sexual offence. The last four sentences will run at the same time.
That means Monyela will spend the rest of his life in prison.
Pictured above: Convicted ‘prophet’ Confidence Monyela.
Image source: Supplied.
