Rape case against Atteridgeville pastor postponed

The case against pastor Caiphus Mkhawane and his two co-accused, Ntsako Mathebula and Amanda Mnguni, has been postponed, to Friday for further investigation.

The trio appeared briefly before the Atteridgeville Magistrate’s Court in Pretoria, on Monday.

They face charges linked to the death of a four month-old baby while Mkhawane is also accused of raping the infant’s mother. The allegations include claims that a funeral policy was taken out before the incident.

The case has shocked the Atteridgeville community. The infant’s body was discovered in a shallow grave near the Hennops River, last week Wednesday.

The mother reportedly accompanied Mkhawane and one of his wives to the river for a ritual when she was allegedly raped and tied up. She managed to escape and seek help.

Police later arrested the pastor’s two wives, with one allegedly leading investigators to the baby’s body.

Mkhawane was arrested in Diepsloot following a manhunt.

Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has welcomed the arrest of a pastor linked to the murder of a four-month-old baby and the alleged rape of her 43-year-old mother.
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National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana says the case includes allegations that a funeral policy had been taken out on the infant before the incident.

“The three accused appeared briefly before the Atteridgeville Magistrates’ Court. They are a pastor and his two wives. Collectively, they are facing charges of conspiracy to commit murder and fraud,” says Mahanjana.

Allegations of insurance policies taken out on the victims, have Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) activists concerned. Kwanele Foundation President, Sihle Sibisi, says this shows that the pastor and his wives are doing business with people’s lives.

“I am shocked to hear the merits of the case, that the pastor and his wives had opened a life insurance policy on the victims. That just shows that it is premeditated. It’s gruesome,” says Sibisi.

For community leaders, the case has renewed concerns about safety and the protection of vulnerable members of society.

“We are shattered because we all believe that a church is a place of safety. When people go to church, they are seeking a place of safety,” says ward councillor, Samuel Masilela.

The three accused are expected back in the Atteridgeville Magistrate’s Court on Friday for further proceedings relating to their bail applications.

Reporter: Nonhlanhla Ntshingila