SEDIBENG – A prevalent pastor appeared before the Sebokeng regional court in connection with the repeated rape of a 14-year-old female congregant.
He is accused of raping the girl multiple times between August 2024 and January this year.
The abuse came to light after the girl developed an infection and confided in her sister, who informed their parents.
Following the news, the mother confronted the pastor and reported the matter to the police.
The 34-year-old bishop from a church in Evaton West was arrested on March 2, after his alleged confession of sexual relations with the minor.
An audio recording circulating on social media alleges the bishop violated the minor on at least 10 occasions.
According to National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana, the first incident happened on August 16 last year when the minor, her parents, and the pastor were returning from a spiritual ritual in Clarens, Free State.
“When they stopped at a filling station to allow the victim to use the restroom the pastor followed her and allegedly raped her while her parents waited in the car, unaware of the incident,” she said.
After this incident, it is alleged that the accused asked the victim’s mother to bring the girl to church for prayer sessions.
The case was postponed until March 13 for a formal bail application.
The ANC Women’s League (ANCWL) in Sedibeng has since called on the community of Evaton, and Sedibeng in general, to rally behind the family of the 14-year-old girl.
“As the ANCWL Sedibeng, we are disgusted at the alleged despicable actions of this bishop, a man of the cloth who is supposed to help nurture and protect our children, and – indeed – all members of his congregation. We salute the law enforcement agencies for their swift work once they had been informed of these illegal acts.
“Further, we must also praise the media for continuing to shine the spotlight on the abuse of power of these so-called men of the cloth. There are many cases in South African courts where patriarchy, cloaked in the guise of religion, has continued to abuse the weak and defenceless. We call on the justice system to ensure that these religious predators are locked and kept away from our vulnerable,” said ANCWL Sedibeng Regional Secretary, Disebo Tlebere.
