Congolese pastor gets 37 years in prison for rape, illegally living in SA

A Congolese pastor with the God Is Love Ministry has been sentenced to 37 years in jail for multiple offences, including rape, by the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria.  

Bafomba Willy Emeka was convicted last week on 19 counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault, illegally living in the country and possessing a fake permanent residence permit.   

The court ordered that Emeka’s name be added to the National Register for Sexual Offenders. The 48-year-old was also declared unfit to possess a firearm.  

He raped and sexually assaulted five women who were members of his congregation between 2015 and 2018 in and around Bronkhorstspruit. One of Emeka’s victims also looked after his children. 

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During the trial, the court heard that Emeka used the same modus operandi when targeting the women. 

He told them they had problems, and he needed to pray for them and bless them to help them. 

Emeka told the woman babysitting his children that she would not conceive a child if she didn’t sleep with him.

Their assaults and rape only stopped after the victim’s women stopped attending church.

Emeka had also told the congregation that he made a pregnancy disappear.

Emeka’s conviction comes days after an Eastern Cape pastor was arrested for allegedly raping four teenage girls.

The girls were members of his church, and three of the victims grew up in his home because his wife is their maternal aunt.

The 60-year-old, accused of raping and sexually grooming four teenage girls, was released on R5,000 bail “with strict conditions”.

The offences allegedly took place between 2010 and 2018.

But the girls only opened about their experience after moving to another area.

When they initially revealed their interactions with the pastor, the girls said relatives and church congregants urged them to keep silent.

ALSO READ: Eastern Cape pastor charged with rape of fourteen girls