Pastor in court for 'rape, assault and impregnating' young women at church

Shocking details have emerged in court about a pastor from Khayelitsha in Cape Town who allegedly raped, assaulted and impregnated vulnerable young women whose mothers took them to church to be healed.

The 51-year-old pastor appeared in the Khayelitsha magistrate's court on Friday facing numerous charges including rape, attempted rape, sexual assault, attempted murder and assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

The incidents allegedly happened at the church in Endlovini between November 2022 and January 2025. His three alleged victims were aged 15, 22 and 23.

Police spokesperson Sgt Wesley Twigg said the pastor allegedly forced his victims to have sex under the guise of healing them.

“The community became aware of his behaviour and had a community meeting and it was then that victims came forward and made the claims,” said Twigg.

The court heard evidence during the pastor's bail application by the investigating officer in the case.

The first victim was taken to church by her mother and stayed there after spending time in hospital for depression. When the pastor's pregnant wife was admitted to hospital, he tried unsuccessfully to persuade the victim to sleep with him.

Later that year he tried again. National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said: “She did not respond to his question but cried and threatened to tell others what [he] was doing to her and the assault. He took off her underwear ... threw her on the bed and raped her. After he was done, he told her not to tell anyone or he would send her home.”

The rapes continued, even after she told her mother what was happening. The investigating officer said there had allegedly been a marriage arrangement between the victim’s family and the pastor — without the victim’s knowledge.

“The investigating officer also confirmed that whenever the accused wanted to sleep with her and she refused, he threatened that something bad would happen to her or someone in her family would die. At some point the victim’s mother got sick and he told her that if she refused to sleep with [him] her mother would die,” said Ntabazalila.

The court heard she was beaten repeatedly with a cane. She was also punched in the eye, hit with a crate, dragged by the hair, hit with a hammer and stabbed with a knife.

On January 18 she sent a message to a friend about her ordeal. A group of friends took her out of the mission and a doctor later confirmed injuries to her private parts.

The second victim, who reported becoming ill and hearing voices, was taken to the church by her mother in January 2021 after completing matric.

“In April 2021, after serving him food, he told her that an angel came down and told him what he needs to be done for her to be healed. She enquired what needed to be done and he told her that she needed to sleep with him. She refused. He told her it was unacceptable to defy the leader, and she would burn if she defied him,” said Ntabazalila.

The second victim was allegedly raped later that year while babysitting a sleeping child. The court heard she fell pregnant with the pastor’s child and gave birth in June 2022.

The third victim arrived at the church in 2018 when she started getting sick. She was in grade 10. She was later allegedly raped and offered R100 notes, which she declined after she started crying.

“She fell pregnant in 2020 and gave birth to his child in May 2021. Her family fetched her from the church and he supported the child financially.”

The bail hearing was postponed to February 20. 

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