Sibasa pastor faces new rape allegation
A well-known Sibasa pastor faces another rape allegation involving a 14-year-old girl, with multiple cases already pending.
LIMPOPO – A well-known pastor from Sibasa is facing new allegations of rape, this time involving a 14-year-old girl.
The names of the alleged perpetrator and of the victim are withheld due to the nature of the charges brought.
According to Vhembe police spokesperson Warrant Officer Vuledzani Dathi, the incident was reported after the child’s aunt received a call from her mother on July 19, alerting her to a problem at home. Upon arrival, the aunt found her niece in tears.
“The girl told her aunt that on July 9, she was called to the church by the pastor. She went to the church in Sibasa, found the pastor in his office, and was told to lock the door. The alleged crime is said to have happened in this time,” Dathi confirmed.
The man was due to appear in the Thohoyandou Magistrate’s Court on Monday on a charge of rape. This is not the first time the self-styled prophet has been in trouble with the law. He was arrested in April on a separate rape charge, and also faces a pending rape case in Cape Town. His bail hearing for these, on April 18, had to be postponed due to a water outage at the court and a congested roll.
The pastor was also recently involved in a head-on collision on the R524 near Tshisahulu. Three police officers and a 19-year-old passenger in his car were seriously injured.
He is the second prominent Vhembe pastor arrested for assault this year. In January, a bishop was arrested for the rape of a 19-year-old girl over the course of a year. The accused is currently out on bail.
