Locals protest outside Mams court as rape accused pastor abandons bail
The accused was arrested after the young girl had the courage to speak out against him despite claims the accused had threatened to kill her parents if she did so.
Congregants of a Mamelodi church have suspended their 38-year-old pastor accused of raping 13-year-old girl with immediate effect.
The church members gathered outside the Mamelodi court on Wednesday to join forces with Newtown residents and #NotInMyName members calling for the accused pastor to face the full might of the law.
The accused was arrested after a girl accused him of raping her for over a year.
The pastor is also accused of threatening to kill both her parents should she decide to speak out.
On Wednesday, he decided to abandon his bail application during the court proceedings.
The identity of the church and accused are withheld in order to protect the identity of the victim.
The accused has also not yet pleaded and could accordingly not be identified.
The members of the church told Rekord they gathered outside court “to support the family of the victim and, as the church, we condemn rapists or abusers”.
“We have organised social workers to help the family with counselling and talk to other church members including children,” one member said.
Themba Masango of #NotInMyName said they were present to ensure the accused was not granted bail.
He said they joined forces with leaders and members of the church as well as the community to oppose bail.
“On Sunday, #NotInMyName visited the church in order to make members of the church aware of the crime that has been committed and to further encourage other congregants to speak out,” said Masango.
He said the aim was to make sure that the church understands that rape and gender-based violence are a serious issue within the community.
“We demand that the church leaders and members support us in our cause of making sure that the pastor faces the full might of the law,” he said.
“What is meant to be a safe space for its members and source of spiritual revival for the community could easily become a hunting ground for criminals.”
Masango said they were concerned about the amount of time it took for the victim to come forward.
“It took the victim over a year to speak out on the continued rape,” he said.
“We believe the church could have and should have been doing more to provide a safe space for victims of gender-based violence and abuse to speak out.
“The church should foster an atmosphere of care and security particularly for women and children, who are the majority of the people who attend service every Sunday.”
Sifiso Gumede of Newtown was among the crowd outside the court on Wednesday.
He said the community of Newtown has been completely shaken by the incident.
“A lot of people did not go to work today because they want to fight gender-based violence and rape within our community,” said Gumede.
He reiterated calls for the church to take a strong stance against anyone who abuses power to hurt the young.
Senior prosecutor Anne-Marie Bendeman said the accused abandoned bail and the case was postponed to November 3 for further investigation.
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