South Africa: Women recount how they were tortured by 'Man of God'

He kidnapped, beat and raped three young women and threatened to kill their families. And he was a pastor who had promised them spiritual guidance.


The three young women, aged 17, 18 and 25, spoke out about their alleged ordeal at the hands of the man who had offered help with their personal problems and even jobs.

They met him while he was doing a religious “crusade” in Merafong and other surrounding areas, The Carletonville Herald reported on April 18.

The parents of the 17-year-old suggested that she move in with the pastor and his wife after concerns about her behaviour.

But then the church leader began abusing her, leaving her young body marked with welts, she said. Soon after, the girl’s 18-year-old friend was persuaded to move in too and the abuse continued, reported the Herald community newspaper.

After a few days, the girls managed to escape to Krugersdorp but the man, who had apparently tricked the girls’ 25-year-old friend into helping him find them, tracked them down.

This time he took all three back to his house and continued the violence. The women told the Sowetan that they pleaded with the man’s wife to help them but all she did was laugh and continued watching television in another room.

Luckily, the older woman managed to get out, call the police, and rescue the other girls.

The pastor is not the first "man of God" in recent months to be arrested for sexually assaulting women.

In December, an Eastern Cape preacher received a life sentence for raping a 14-year-old girl after a church service, the East Griqualand Fever community newspaper reported.

In September last year, a radio presenter and pastor was arrested for having a sexual relationship with an underage girl in Port Elizabeth, News24 reported.