The Zimbabwean police announced the arrest of a man who claimed to be a prophet of an apostolic sect and the discovery of 16 graves, some of which belonged to infants, along with the liberation of over 250 children who had been exploited. Police spokesperson Paul Nyathi stated that Ishmael Chokurongirirwa (56 years old) had appointed himself as a prophet and led a sect with more than a thousand members on a farm located about 34 kilometers northwest of the capital Harare, where the children lived alongside other followers.
He added, "The children were used in various physical activities for the benefit of the sect leaders," noting that out of 251 children, 246 did not have birth certificates. He reported that "the police established that all the children were of school age, had not enrolled in formal education, and were subjected to abuse as cheap labor, performing manual work under the guise of: learning life skills." The police stated that they discovered the graves of seven infants who had not been registered with the authorities.
Chokurongirirwa, who referred to himself as Prophet Ishmael, was arrested along with seven of his aides for engaging in criminal activities including "the abuse of minors."
