The KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Social Development, Nonhlanhla Khoza, has called for a hefty sentence to be imposed on a pastor who allegedly repeatedly raped his 18-year-old niece in KwaMashu, north of Durban.

It is alleged the niece had been residing with him and her aunt for some time and that in the family there were individuals who tried to conceal the incident after the niece shared her ordeal.

In a statement by the department, the alleged incident created division among family members until some of them resolved to expose it and registered the rape case with the local police station this week.

Khoza said she wants to see all the family members who hid the rape face the law.

She also expressed shock and disgust that a man who was supposed to protect a young girl became her nightmare.

“It is very painful to learn about these rape cases [occur] daily and children [are] victimised by the very same people who are supposed to protect them. This child’s life has been destroyed.

“We want to see the names of rapists being added to the national register for sexual offenders. Such people who violate women’s rights also need to be declared unfit to lead churches or be close to children. It’s clear that the perpetrator who is married to her aunt took advantage of the victim as they stayed in the same house,” said Khoza.

She said the pastor was an uncle who failed to protect the teenager.

“He saw her as a suitable candidate to satisfy himself sexually. Such an offence was gruesome, despicable, and disgusting. And the court should not grant this pastor bail.

“We are faced by a high number of gender-based violence cases and women continue to live in fear. It is for this reason that we want to see the law taking its course in such cases,” said Khoza.