Lider zimbabveanske sekte i samoprozvani prorok Ishmael Chokurongerva appeared in court today on charges of child abuse after police raided his farm and rescued more than 200 children who were subjected to hard physical labor, the police said.

The children were „abused as cheap labor, doing physical work in exchange for teaching life skills,“ the police statement said.

Police found 251 children on the property who were not attending school. Most of them did not have birth certificates.

They also found 16 graves, including seven for babies, all of which were unregistered, the statement said.

Chokurongerva (56), described by police as a self-proclaimed prophet, was arrested this week along with seven members of his sect after a raid on the farm in Njabiri, about 30 kilometers west of the capital Harare.

„I can confirm that they appeared in court today. There are many accusations. We are still investigating, so there may be additional charges,“ police spokesman Paul Nyathi told Reuters.

The accused did not plead guilty today. State television H-Metro reported that Chokurongerva and his accomplices were remanded in custody until March 19 for bail determination. They face two charges – for violating the Burial and Cremation Act and the Children’s Act.

A video showing the raid showed dozens of women and children dressed in white, sitting under a tree and singing. Some were later taken away by buses escorted by police cars.

Zimbabwe is a predominantly Christian country where apostolic sects are common. Chokurongerva, also known as Madzibaba Ishmael, was identified in the police statement as the leader of the Johane Masowe or „white garments“ church.

His followers have previously been accused of abusing women and children and are known for practicing child marriages.