The SA Council of Churches Has Admitted That Recent Reports O

By Mogomotsi Selebi
The Sowetan
March 14, 2015

http://www.sowetanlive.co.za/news/2015/03/14/church-body-disturbed-by-pastors-sex-crimes

Bishop Malusi Mpumlwana from the council warned that lack of accountability on the part of church leadership often led to such incidents.

Mpumlwana's comments came as a 45-year-old pastor was due to appear in the Bultfontein Magistrate's Court in Free State today on a charge of rape.

"We are absolutely concerned, but what I would like to say is that, a criminal is a criminal.

"There is no 'special criminal' regardless of whether the person is a pastor or not," Mpumlwana said.

"There is a growing tendency for people to use the trust of the people and to also abuse that trust. One is reminded of the false prophets."

Mpumlwana urged the public not to paint all pastors with the same brush because of the "few incidents involving pastors".

"The [South African] Council of Churches represents member churches, so we don't know what is happening with other churches.

"However we are very concerned that faith is being abused which undermines the credibility of the church," he said.

Churches where pastors operated with impunity were a common ground for such incidents, Mpumlwana said.

"It happens more in situations where there is no accountability," he said.

The police said the pastor allegedly committed the crime four years ago when the complainant, now 17, was just 13 years old.

"He is currently being detained and will appear in court tomorrow [today] charged with rape," said police spokesman Constable Peter Kareli.

"He allegedly raped the girl in 2011 when she had gone to visit a friend at his house."

Police were now looking to interview another girl who they said the pastor had close contact with.

"He knows her well. The pastor does not have a wife and children and he is not even related to this girl, that is why we intend talking to her," Kareli said.

Contact: selebim@sowetan.co.za