The High Court of South Africa, Eastern Cape Division, has sentenced self-acclaimed Apostle, Hlumelo Dywili (35) to six life imprisonment terms after convicting him on four counts of rape and two trafficking in person charges.
Additionally, spokesperson for National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Luxolo Tyali said that the court also sentenced him to five years on a charge of compelling and causing a person to witness a sexual offence but ordered it to run concurrently with two life terms for rape.
“Dywili, a singer and lay-pastor from Mthatha district purported to be on a mission to heal sick people and secure jobs. He had a business of selling products carrying his identity as the logo. He sold the products at roadshows in the Eastern Cape as well as Mbizana,” said Tyali.
Between July and August 2021, Dywili used Facebook and Nkonjane Community Radio to advertise his businesses. He used false testimonies from people claiming to have been helped by him.
“One victim, originally from Komani, but residing in Cape Town, responded to his Facebook advertisement. Dywili promised her a job and purchased a bus ticket for her travel. Upon his arrival, he raped her in his vehicle at his home in Mthatha before isolating her to his base in Mbizana the following day. In Mbizana, she found two more victims who had also been lured to his base with promises of job offers.”
Tyali added that Dywili kept the three victims captive and repeatedly raped them on numerous occasions.
“Contrary to what would be expected of an Apostle, Dywili drank heavily, become violent and threatened the victims with a knife that he kept under the pillow of his bed. A school girl (17) was the first rape victim to fall prey to Dywili in March 2020. Her parents took her to him for healing after suffering epileptic seizures.
“He claimed to be perfuming healing procedures on the teenager by smearing baby oil and raping her using his fingers. The girl reported the ordeal to her mother and a case was opened. Dywili was released on bail.”
Tyali further added that Dywili was re-arrested after his three victims escaped from his Mbizana base. The case was handed over to the Directorate of Priority Crimes Investigation (Hawks), Captain Lulama Jack managed to track down the first victim.
“During the trial Dywili pleaded not guilty, claiming that the sexual intercourse with all of them was consensual and all the victims were his girlfriends.”
State Advocate Nkululeko Mzinyati led the evidence of the victims. Dywili’s ex-wife testified that she was never suspicious of her husband’s actions. Mzinyati noted that Dywili’s ex-wife was not a satisfactory witness. Judge Richard Brooks agreed with Mzinyati’s submission, adding that Dywili was not remorseful and had used his position of trust as a pastor to prey on desperate young women. There were no compelling circumstances to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence of life for the offences.
