Dobsonville church leader accused of rape abandons bail

The 58-year-old church leader accused of raping a 12-year-old in Dobsonville, Soweto, has abandoned his bail application.

The accused made a brief appearance in the Roodepoort Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.

The alleged rape reportedly took place at the accused’s home on Good Friday.

A video of the incident made the rounds on social media, showing the young girl lying naked on a table, appearing dazed, while a woman confronts the suspect.

Speaking to eNCA, the woman who confronted the accused after hearing the minor’s screams said the pastor did not appear to be in the right state of mind.

“We haven’t had electricity since last June. We’ve been waiting for Eskom to come, but they’ve never been there; all they do is just promise to come.

“So he’s the only person who opened up his house for everyone who wanted to charge to cook. So everybody felt comfortable with that. Not knowing what was on his mind at the moment, was he planning all along or what we do not know. I just said what happened. All he said was no, these children drink alcohol,” she said. “I think he was in a trance.  He wasn’t sure of what was happening at the moment. The way I saw him.”

Community members once again gathered outside the court on Tuesday, with some alleging the incident may have been linked to ritual practices.

Speaking outside court, activist Botlhale Modisane, welcomed the accused’s decision to abandon bail.

“We had been calling for him to abandon bail since last week because he ought to consider the fact that number one should he apply for bail and be granted he would be coming back to an angry community and he also would be literally coming back to a stone throw away from the victim’s home and that is something that would be detrimental and would continue to strengthen the pain that the family and the community is already feeling.”

Modisane says they are now placing their hopes in the investigating officer.

“So right now all hopes lie in the hands of the investigating officer. We just hope that he would be able to do his job thoroughly and not compromise and not be compromised in any way, shape or form.

“We hope that no amount of money would allow him to actually, you know, tamper with the evidence  because the last thing that we need is for this case to be strong only to have him acquitted on technicalities, so we’re just hoping that SAPS would prove us wrong in us knowing very well that they are easily compromised.”

The matter will return to the Roodepoort Magistrates Court on 20 May.