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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaZimbabwe police arrest self-proclaimed prophet and rescue 251 childrenPublished8 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, ReutersImage caption, Unicef estimates more than two million people follow the apostolic churches in ZimbabweBy Gem O’ReillyBBC NewsA self-proclaimed Apostolic prophet who kept more than 250 children on his property has been arrested in Zimbabwe.Police said that Ishmael Chokurongerwa, 56, led a sect with more than 1,000 members in Harare.The children were undocumented and allegedly used as cheap labour. Unregistered graves, believed to be of infants, were also found.Police said that they arrested Ishmael and seven other members for “criminal activities” and the abuse of minors.The Zimbabwe Republic Police released a statement on Wednesday saying that the arrest followed a raid that took place at the property on 12 March.Officers discovered that some 246 out of the 251 children staying at the property had no birth certificates.The children did not attend any official place of education, police said, and instead were doing manual work – “for the benefit of the sect’s leadership” – and “being taught life skills”.Nine graves were found for adults and seven for infants that were dug without official registration, police added.Video footage taken by local media during the raid showed women dressed in white complaining that the police in riot gear were taking away their children. One of the sect leaders tells a reporter that God forbids children going to school.Mr Chokurongerwa, who has been described as a “self-styled prophet”, led the sect which was located at a farm about 34km (21 miles) north-west of the capital, Harare.The other seven members of the sect who were arrested worked with Ishmael Chokurongerwa.The arrest has sparked conversation about the impact Apostolic faith sects can have on both health and education in Zimbabwe and beyond.UN children’s agency Unicef estimates that more than two million people in Zimbabwe follow Apostolic churches.A report by the agency found that some 6% of the Zimbabwe population belong such church groups.More on this storyKenya televangelist arrested as deaths probedPublished27 April 2023Kenya cult targeted children to starve first – pastorPublished14 May 2023Top StoriesLive. Gove names groups as he outlines new extremism definition in CommonsHow gunfire and fear engulfed Gaza hospital before Israeli raidPublished1 hour agoAbbott hits out at racism in politics after donor rowPublished3 hours agoFeaturesFear and chaos await Haitian migrants forced back over borderHow a head teacher saved his pupils from a knifemanSteve Rosenberg on Russia’s stage-managed electionPost Office victim’s child: ‘Scandal left me mute’Critics say Morning Show star is magnetic on stageReality TV star Vicky Pattison: Why I’d donate my frozen eggs. VideoReality TV star Vicky Pattison: Why I’d donate my frozen eggsThe story of I Will Always Love You, 50 years onWatch: Incident Room – The Royal Photo Re-touchAttributioniPlayer’I was brought to the UK to work as a slave’Elsewhere on the BBCCow, goat, oat, almond, soya…Which milk is the cream of the crop for your health and the planet?AttributionSoundsWhy did four tragic murders spark an online obsession?The case racked up nearly two billion views on TikTok worldwideAttributioniPlayerPop legend Lulu with her life in ten tracks…Vernon talks another special guest through their meaningful music picksAttributionSoundsAn unflinching look at the UK’s public servicesDarren McGarvey gains unprecedented access to hospitals, schools and prisonsAttributioniPlayerMost Read1Need an op? The hospitals with the worst waits2Boy admits killing schoolgirl at London bus stop3Contraceptives handed out at Olivia Rodrigo gig4Drakeford surprised at level of anger over 20mph5Flight chaos made worse by engineer delay6Dua Lipa, Coldplay and SZA to headline Glastonbury7’We can’t sell our flat and can’t afford to live in it’8Hundreds rescued from Philippines love scam centre9Jailed bankers appeal rate ‘rigging’ convictions10Abbott hits out at racism in politics after donor row