Revival Ministries rapist pastor convicted for selling state land

Pastor

Revival Ministries founder Pastor Mark Mhindu has been convicted of fraud after pleading guilty to selling State land to an unsuspecting buyer.

Mhindu’s wife was, however, acqui-tted on similar charges. Mhindu (49) and his wife Samukelo (48) appeared before regional magistrate Mr Morgan Nemadire. In acquitting Samukelo, Mr Nemadire said she might not have been aware that Government had acquired the land in question.

"It may be that accused did not play a pivotal role in the sale of the said land.

"She is not a signatory to the November 2007 sale as she does not witness, acknowledge the complainant’s full payment," he said.

Her husband pleaded guilty saying it was "futile" to raise a defence in a "technical case". In mitigation Mhindu’s lawyer, Mr Joel Mambara of Mambara and Associates, said Mhindu was a family man.

"He pleaded guilty after the State had closed its case after realising he could not raise a defence to a technical offence," he said.

In aggravation, prosecutor Mr Dumisani Mthombeni said Mhindu was not a first offender as he was convicted of rape and was currently on bail pending appeal.

"The now convicted person took advantage of his position in society as a pastor.

"He is a founder member of Revival Ministries which was known by the complainant and he used that position to deceive the complainant who believed everything he said and (that) he was genuine and sincere as a man of the cloth as such his moral blameworthiness is extremely high.

"All police officers are severely punished as opposed to ordinary members of the public and moreso a man of cloth who is a head of congregation at his church and to whom society looks up," Mr Mthombeni said.

He said only a custodial sentence would serve the demands of justice. Mr Mambara countered saying each case was different and the fact that he was a church leader did not aggravate the crime.

Charges against the couple arose between September 2007 and April last year when they advertised in a local newspaper that they were selling Plot 46 of Kintyre Estates in Norton for US$68 000.

It is the State’s contention that as a result they received a down payment of US$10 000 from an unsuspecting buyer. The buyer paid another US$25 000 after that.

The offence came to light when Mhindu demanded more money when the buyer went to pay the US$38 000 balance. Getting suspicious, Mhindu’s victim investigated and discovered that the land in question actually belonged to the State.