A Khayelitsha pastor, accused of raping a young church member, appeared in the Khayelitsha Magistrates’ Court on 27 January 2025. Residents supporting the pastor and activists demanding justice packed the courtroom.
Court proceedings revealed that the 50-year-old pastor allegedly told the complainant she must marry him if she wanted her sick mother to survive. The girl moved in with the pastor in 2021, at the age of 13, after her mother, who was unwell, left her in his care. According to allegations, the pastor began abusing the girl when she turned 15.
The court briefly heard the matter and postponed it to 5 February 2025 for a formal bail application. Activists later reported that three more women had accused the pastor of abuse, with some claiming they have children fathered by him.
Xoli Tsholoba, from Baphi Abafazi, an organisation fighting against gender-based violence, voiced her concerns about the case.
“The girl told us that she arrived at the church when she was 13 and the mfundisi ended up abusing her. Apparently, he told her that his calling requires him to sleep with virgins, girls that have never slept with anyone. There is nothing like that. We are here to stand with this girl because her mother is in the Eastern Cape,” said Tsholoba.
On Sunday, 26 January 2025, residents and activists visited the church that is located in Endlovini, C-Section.
It is alleged that the pastor’s actions have left several girls traumatised, with three victims already coming forward and others reportedly having children as a result of the abuse. The pastor, who has also been accused of infecting the girls with HIV, was arrested on 19 January for allegedly stabbing one of the victims.
The Sunday meeting ended in chaos as residents who wanted to defend the pastor were not allowed to speak.
Ward councillor Lonwabo Mqina urged the community to let the court handle the matter. “The court will decide whether the pastor is guilty or not. It is wrong to dismiss the victims’ claims, as it discourages others from speaking out. I encourage everyone to attend the court proceedings on Monday, 27 January 2025,” Mqina said.