A 60-year-old pastor appeared in the Qumbu Magistrates Court
yesterday, September 23, charged with four counts of rape and three counts of
sexual grooming.
The pastor, from Natala village in Ngcolokini area of Qumbu
district is alleged to have preyed on four girls, then aged between 13 and 17,
who were members of his church. Three of the victims grew up in the pastor’s
family home because his wife is their maternal aunt.
The offences are alleged to have taken place between 2010
and 2018 but they were only reported in January 2020 after the complainants had
moved to stay elsewhere.
Previous attempts by the complainants to report the matter
before were allegedly frustrated by relatives and congregants. It is alleged
that they were discouraged from exposing themselves to “ungodly” things like
watching television and socialising with people who do not attend the same
church as them.
During his brief court appearance today, the pastor
indicated that he would secure the services of a private attorney. The prosecution
did not oppose bail and the court granted him R5 000 bail with strict
conditions. The conditions include that the pastor does not contact the
complainants, whether directly or indirectly and does not mention their names
when conducting sermons at his church.
The case against the pastor was postponed October 6 for
legal representation.
