Rape during 'special prayer'

2003-07-22 19:25

Riot Hlatshwayo

Polokwane - A Limpopo priest accused of raping a member of his congregation after asking her to strip naked so her prayers could be answered more quickly, appeared briefly in the Seshego magistrate's court on Tuesday.

The court postponed the case against the 67-year-old priest to August 29 in the Polokwane regional court.

The priest's R1 500 bail was extended.

He may not be identified until he has been asked to plead to the charge.

"The court is still waiting for the directorate of public prosecutions to set a date when the priest will be asked to plead," said Seshego police spokesperson, Inspector Mohlaka Mashiyane.

The priest is accused of raping a 25-year-old woman he invited to his house on June 12 for "special prayers".

He reportedly prayed in tongues and asked the woman to close her eyes and strip for her prayers to be answered more quickly.

The woman did so, but opened her eyes when she heard heavy breathing. She allegedly found the priest stripping too while continuing to speak in tongues.

When she called for help, she was thrown to the floor and raped. Afterwards, she was told to dress and was read a Bible verse about forgiveness.

The woman alerted her family, however, who took her to hospital where it was confirmed she'd been raped.

Tip of the iceberg Meanwhile, another pastor from the same church's Giyani branch is serving five years for raping a 16-year-old girl after promising to pray with her to pass her final exams.

Pastor Julius Mabunda of Siyandane village outside Giyani was jailed in 1999 and is being held at the Matachi prison in Sibasa near Thohoyandou.

The South African Council of Churches (SACC) in the province has strongly condemned church leaders who abuse and rape women and young girls under the guise of prayer.

"We view the acts in an extremely serious light and declare the perpetrators unfit for the office of holy ministry," said SACC Limpopo spokesperson Reverend Lekubela Moobi.

He said the Seshego priest's case was the tip of the iceberg because the SACC received numerous complaints about church leaders accused of "horrendous acts".

"We call upon the people of this province and the country at large to expose any such acts by reporting them to the relevant church authorities and even the police," Moobi said. "This we do because we do not want to hide evil, even if it is found within our own territory."

- African Eye