Zimbabwe police rescue 251 children, find graves in raid of compound

Map of Zimbabwe.[VOA]

Zimbabwe police on Wednesday said they have arrested a man claiming to be a prophet of an apostolic sect at a shrine where believers stay in a compound, and authorities found 16 unregistered graves, including those of infants, and more than 250 children used as cheap labor.

In a statement, police spokesman Paul Nyathi said Ishmael Chokurongerwa, 56, a "self-styled" prophet, led a sect with more than 1,000 members at a farm about 34 kilometers [21 miles] northwest of the capital, Harare, where the children were staying alongside other believers.