A 32-year-old Prophet and leader of a church in
Burgersdorp outside Tzaneen in Limpopo was arrested by the South
African Police on Tuesday August 22 for raping two 14-year-olds, a
15-year-old and 17-year-old he lured into his church claiming he
wanted to pray for them.
Burgersdorp outside Tzaneen in Limpopo was arrested by the South
African Police on Tuesday August 22 for raping two 14-year-olds, a
15-year-old and 17-year-old he lured into his church claiming he
wanted to pray for them.
The self-acclaimed Prophet
whose name was given as Ngoepe married with three children, allegedly
raped the girls who were ushers inside the church after inviting them
for a prayer session on separate occasions.
whose name was given as Ngoepe married with three children, allegedly
raped the girls who were ushers inside the church after inviting them
for a prayer session on separate occasions.
Two mothers of the victims yesterday, recounted how their daughters were sexually assaulted.
The mother of the 15-year-old victim said she was initially happy when her daughter started attending the church last year.
“I am so hurt and disappointed. I thought my child was going there to improve her life but I was wrong,” she told The Sowetan.
She
said what was going on in church was exposed by a pastor from another
church in a meeting held by the residents and a community policing
forum on Sunday.
said what was going on in church was exposed by a pastor from another
church in a meeting held by the residents and a community policing
forum on Sunday.
“When I asked my daughter if she had been raped she started crying,” she said.The
woman said her daughter told her she was raped in December allegedly by
the prophet after he invited her for a prayer meeting.“At
first he told her that she had the mark of the devil bellow her belly
button and that her breasts were being sucked by demonic baboons.”
The mother said, according to her daughter, the prophet then allegedly grabbed the girl’s breasts and started to pray.
She said her daughter returned home after the prayer. The prophet had asked her to come back.
The mother said he invited her into the small prayer room where he
allegedly started to touch her and forcefully undressed her. He then
allegedly pinned her down and raped her on top of the table.
The mother said he invited her into the small prayer room where he
allegedly started to touch her and forcefully undressed her. He then
allegedly pinned her down and raped her on top of the table.
“I
feel so hurt. I want him to rot in jail,” said the mother, adding that
the incidents were only discovered later because the teenagers were too
afraid to report the man they refer to as “Papa”.“He threatened them by saying that the Holy Spirit which he put inside them would kill them if they talk about it.”The
mother said she had noticed a change in her daughter’s behaviour in
December, but did not think it was linked to church activities. She said
the girl was now withdrawn and spent most of her time sleeping after
school.Another woman, whose 17-year-old daughter was
allegedly raped, also found out at the same meeting. She said the
assault took place when the prophet had asked the teenager to come to
church after school in September. She said the prophet had told her
daughter that he had a sexual dream about her before raping her.“I am so angry. I don’t want to see him and his church in Burgersdorp anymore. He deserves to be locked up forever.”The woman said she had met the prophet who used to invite her to his church.“I never thought he would do something like this,” she said.She said she believed her daughter was repeatedly raped.“The first time he raped her he did not use a condom.”The
woman said her daughter was struggling to cope at school and was
suffering from mood swings since the alleged incidents happened.“She even talks about suicide.”
According
to the Provincial police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Moatshe Ngoepe,
who confirmed the incident, the prophet who established the church last
year with services on Sundays, Tuesdays and Fridays, will appear at the
Lenyenye Magistrate’s Court.
to the Provincial police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Moatshe Ngoepe,
who confirmed the incident, the prophet who established the church last
year with services on Sundays, Tuesdays and Fridays, will appear at the
Lenyenye Magistrate’s Court.