Khayelitsha Bishop Accused of Raping Congregants, South Africans Outraged at Man of God’s Actions

• A Bishop from the St Angel's Church in Khayelitsha has been accused of raping at least three female congregants
• The Bishop's supporters clashed with community members outside the church where they were protesting
• South Africans voiced frustration that another man of the cloth would abuse his power over younger congregants

WESTERN CAPE – A Khayelitsha religious leader has been arrested for allegedly assaulting one of his congregants, but that’s the least of his legal troubles.

The Bishop of St Angels Church in the Western Cape township has been accused of raping at least three female members of the congregation, with two of them claiming that he is the father of their children.

The Bishop has not been charged for the rapes as yet but has been charged for allegedly stabbing one of the girls who opened a case against him.

Young girls claim Bishop raped them

Two female congregants opened up about their ordeal, describing how the man of God took advantage of them. One of the victims alleged that he started raping her from the time she was 16, and beat her up when she refused to sleep with him. She also claimed that she miscarried twice because of the violence inflicted upon her.

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Another victim stated that the Bishop first started raping her when she was sick and took a gap year from school. She explained that during that time the 50-year-old asked her to clean his house, but told her that the ancestors had spoken to him and said that she would be cured if she slept with him.

Community members clash with Bishop’s supporters

Angry community members marched to the church on Sunday, 26 January 2025 to demand that it be shut down, but were met with resistance by supporters of the Bishop. The 50-year-old’s supporters have accused the victims of lying.

South Africa's men of God are no strangers to headlines. On 15 May 2020, Briefly News listed 10 occasions when pastors did crazy things in the country. One of the more popular pastors, who is also facing legal issues, is Pastor Mboro. He is facing a host of charges, including kidnapping and assault.

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South Africans weigh in on accusations

Social media vented frustration that another man of the cloth was charged with unholy deeds.

Mwelase Junior Gp said:

“People must stop worshipping other people. God does exist and He will never harm you because of the love He has for all of us.”

Siphola Wabantwana stated:

“That's men of God of nowadays. 2 Timothy 3vs5 says - Having the appearance of Godliness but denying his power."

@Ants2606 added:

“Oh, he’s guilty. These church people are really fooled by these fake pastors.”

@MoloiNoks said:

“Another Omotoso case loading 🤦🏾.”

Others expressed frustration at the conduct of his supporters.

@TheOnlyLaw23 said:

“They all should be put in jail.”

@MariaSetum98039 added:

“Wait until the Pastor knocks on their doors for their daughters.”

@ElnaMkhize___said:

“How dare they try to shift the blame onto the victims? This is the perfect example of victim-blaming and protecting the abuser. We need to stop making excuses for predators and start supporting the survivors. No one should be silenced or dismissed when speaking out about abuse.”

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Retired Bishop takes church to CCMA

In a related article, a retired bishop has taken the Apostolic Faith Mission of South Africa to the CCMA over alleged outstanding payments.

Briefly News reported that Bishop Samuel Molefe claimed the church owes him severance pay, leave compensation and unpaid salaries.

South Africans were divided by the matter, with some joking that the bishop worked for God, not the church.

Source: Briefly News