'satanists' give Zimbabwe prison authorities headacheBy KITSEPILE NYATHI | Saturday, February 2  2013 at  14:25

A group of devil worshippers is causing a stir in Zimbabwe’s Harare Remand Prison, where they are demanding to be allowed to worship freely.

Now prison authorities are in a fix on what to do with the men from Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo who claim to be Satanists, either to keep them behind bars or to release them.

“They are afraid to take us to court because they know we did nothing wrong,” George Lungange, wearing prison garb written “Super Devil” told journalists during a  tour of the prison on Friday. “There is freedom of worship in Zimbabwe, we should be freed.”

Prison authorities say they wanted to deport the three ring leaders, a Rwandan and two Congolese nationals, but the duo was long granted refugee status, meaning they are in Zimbabwe legally.

“We initially thought they were illegal immigrants, but then we realised they had been granted refugee status,” a prison official said. “If we release them they have to go to Tongogarara Refugee Camp and that is where we fear what will happen.”

Freedom to do wrong

Unperturbed, the two alleged devil worshippers say they are going on with their work and have managed to recruit more inmates into their world of darkness.

“What we want is freedom from God, we want freedom to do wrong,” another Satanist from the Democratic Republic of Congo said.

As if to show that their religion is growing, the trio has since written to prison authorities asking for paraphernalia for them to conduct their religion.

Among other things, they asked for a razor blade, a red coffin and red garments, but the prison officials are having none of it.

Lungange, Brangsto from DRC and Rwandese Busy Mana Thenetse were arrested last year after they filed an application with the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare to establish the church at the Tongogora Refugee Camp.