House of Manna Global Ministries leader Tizora Kaitano was yesterday slapped with an effective 20–year prison sentence following his conviction on two counts of aggravated indecent assault on a male church member.

Harare regional magistrate Fadzai Mtombeni said Kaitano’s case was aggravated by the fact that the 24–year–old complainant looked up to Tizora and held him in high esteem as a pastor.

Mtombeni noted in her ruling that Tizora (40) was on anti–retroviral therapy so chances were high that he could have infected the complainant with the virus that causes Aids.

The court heard that the complainant delayed reporting the matter to the police after receiving death threats from Tizora.
Mtombeni said such behaviour was frowned upon by society, adding that a lengthy custodial term would meet the justice of the case.

Prosecutor Tungamirai Muganhiri told the court during trial that Tizora smeared the complainant with an ointment after he had accepted the invitation for prayer inside the pastor’s house in Mufakose on September 28 this year.

A medical report confirmed that Tizora’s breast-like features which the complainant alluded to during trial were as a result of the side effects of a drug he was taking for tuberculosis.

The court heard that after the ritual which saw his victim immobilised, Tizora proceeded to suck his victim’s manhood before swallowing his semen after which he threatened the complainant with death if he disclosed the incident. The following day, the complainant realised that he was discharging bloodied semen.

He later made a police report, leading to Tizora’s arrest.

In his defence outline, Tizora however, denied the charges and claimed that he was a victim of persecution because of his calling as a minister of the Gospel.