Two Limpopo pastors have been arrested by the South African Police Service (SAPS) in two separate cases of rape involving minor girls in the Phalaborwa area.
According to report, the Limpopo police spokesperson, Lt-Col Moatshe Ngoepe who confirmed the incidents on Sunday, disclosed that a 52-year-old pastor (name withheld) in a village near Lulekani township was arrested for allegedly raping his 14-year-old half-sister.
It was gathered that the girl who started living with the suspect and his wife since she was three years old following the death of her mother has been raped by the pastor since she was 11 years old up till date until the girl reported the matter to the police who immediately started tracing the suspect and arrested him and he is now expected to appear in the Lulekani Magistrate's Court today, on charges of rape and sexual assault.
While the second pastor, a 46 year old man, that was arrested by police in Namakgale outside Phalaborwa briefly appeared in the Namakgale Magistrate's Court and was remanded in custody with no bail until the 26th of October for a bail application and further police investigations.
"It is alleged that the suspect raped his 14-year-old stepdaughter at a village near Namakgale township; following the gruesome discovery by the victim's mother who immediately reported the ordeal to the police which led to this arrest." Ngoepe said.
While adding that preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect started raping the victim in February 2015.
Limpopo acting police commissioner Maj-Gen Bafana Linda while reacting to the alleged rape cases, condemned the act of criminality perpetrated against children in the strongest terms and warned all perpetrators of such crimes to 'repent immediately, not so, we are going to deal with them mercilessly and without compromise'.
Source: ANA
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