A 33-year-old Malawian pastor is expected to appear in the George Magistrate’s Court in the Southern Cape on Monday for allegedly raping a congregant.
The incident allegedly took place at the Enlightened Christian Gathering Church in Thembalethu two weeks ago.
The multi-national church led by Shepherd Bushiri made headlines in December 2017 when three women died in a stampede at the Tshwane Showgrounds in Pretoria.
According to the 23-year old victim, the pastor invited her for a prayer on the evening of December 28.
Upon arriving, he then inquired about her personal life, previous and current romantic relationships throughout the evening.
He allegedly forced himself onto her on a couch inside the church.
The pastor was arrested this past Friday.
He has written an open letter to the congregation saying the incident was consensual.
Meanwhile, the woman is kept at a safe house after she was allegedly harassed by some church members at home.
-Report by Sphiwe Hobasi
