‘Prophet’ gets 10 years IHL for raping client

The Chikhwawa Magistrate’s Court last week sentenced self-styled Prophet Anthony Lazalo, 43, to 10 years imprisonment with hard labour for raping a 20-year-old woman who asked him to seek God’s intervention for her health problems.

According to Chikhwawa Police spokesperson, Sunday Ngulube, the court heard that the convict committed the crime on April 4 2013 when he went to the victim’s grandparent’s home in Senior Chief Chapananga’s area in the district.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Owen Kamanga told the court that the victim (name withheld) was a Form Four student at Phwadzi Community Day Secondary School.

“When Lazalo told the [girl’s grandfather] that he was a prophet, the victim thought it was her chance to get cured of her health problems. Then the ‘man of God’ asked her to go into a secluded place for a prayer. While praying in a room, the defendant asked the complainant to allow him to insert his finger into her private parts. She could not refuse as he told her that God had said it as a condition for her healing.

“It was while inserting the finger that he took advantage of the situation to rape her. The victim screamed for help and people came to her rescue after she had already been raped,” said Kamanga.

Clinicians at Chapananga Health Centre confirmed the rape when officers from Chapananga Police Unit took the victim to the health facility.

Lazalo comes from Chiphwembe Village in Senior Chief Malemia in Nsanje.