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[WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT]: North West church congregants caught naked with children, arrested

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Residents of Sondela, outside Rustenburg in the North West, have expressed shock and concern, following the arrest of six people who were found naked, together with 11 children, in an RDP house used as a church.

According to the provincial police, the suspects aged between 21 and 85 were remanded in custody, following their appearance in the Rustenburg Magistrates’ Court.

The six are accused of contravening Section 22 of the Criminal Procedure Act, which details sexual offences and related matters. Their charges relate to the exposure or display of genital organs or flashing for children.

According to police, the six were found naked with 11 children, aged between four and 12 in a house believed to be used for worship. Police spokesperson, Brigadier Sabata Mokgwabone says the accused are three males and three females. They are alleged to be members of an unidentified church and were arrested in Sondela, Phase 1 Boitekong, outside Rustenburg last week.

Removed and placed under the care of other family members

He adds, “The only individual, who was found wearing clothes was a 34 year-old female church leader. The children were removed from the house and handed to social workers for intervention and ultimately placed under the care of other family members.”

Meanwhile, the community is appalled at the findings, saying that the Department of Social Development must attend to this case for the police to do an investigation.

“The justice system is failing the community. Social services is failing. I am heartbroken. Government must monitor if churches are registered because everyone is seemingly opening churches. Everyone is doing as they please. The police service is failing us. Even the councilor, we tried talking to him but he failed to explains how this happened.” the angry community members explain.

Law must be upheld

The South African Christian Ministries Council in the North West Province has condemned the incident. Provincial Council Chairperson, Reverend Kagiso Letlape, says the law must be upheld even in church.

“We condemn such an incident and distance ourselves from such gathering where people gather in the name of the Lord but the gathering is done with people being naked. This is against our constitution. We appreciate that it is enshrined in our constitution that we’ve got freedom of expression and freedom of religion, but the freedom that we have must happen or our expression must happen in the confines of the constitution is itself.” Letlape stresses.

The accused are expected to appear again at the Rustenburg Magistrates’ Court on Monday.

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