ANC Gauteng Moves to Revoke Pastor’s Membership Following Rape of 12-Year-Old Girl, SA Reacts
- The African National Congress (ANC) in Gauteng has made a decision regarding a member who was charged with the rape of a 12-year-old girl
- Tshepo Ntsimane, who is also a pastor, appeared before the Roodepoort Magistrates' Court on 14 April 2026 in connection with the rape
- South Africans took to social media to weigh in on the ANC's decision, sharing mixed reactions to the whole situation
Source: Getty Images
Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He worked as a newspaper journalist for 10 years before transitioning to online.
GAUTENG - The African National Congress (ANC) in Gauteng is in the process of revoking the membership of a 58-year-old man who is alleged to have raped a 12-year-old.
Tshepo Ntsimane appeared before the Roodepoort Magistrates' Court on 14 April 2026, charged with the rape of the young girl. The rape is believed to have happened over the Easter weekend (3 - 6 April 2026) and only came to light after videos of the aftermath surfaced.
Ntsimane is reported to be a pastor and an active member of the ANC in Dobsonville, Soweto, sparking further outrage over his abuse of power. The matter has been postponed to 22 April for further investigation.
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Political parties are outraged by the incident
The incident has sparked outrage, particularly among political parties, as the suspect is a known member of the ANC. While the ANC in the province has taken steps to remove Ntsimane, ANC Women’s League member, Faith Mazibuko, said it brought disgrace to the organisation.
“We say, 'not in our name', and it is not the organisation that sends people to perform all these atrocities. We wish to call upon all our men and women to rally around and make sure we protect the child,” she said.
Build One South Africa (BOSA) also condemned the ‘horrific act’, with leader Mmusi Maimane calling for the toughest sentence possible for the accused.
Source: Getty Images
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in Gauteng also publicly stated that its members would stand in solidarity with the victim's family.
The Democratic Alliance’s (DA) Johannesburg mayoral candidate, Helen Zille, also addressed what should happen to those found guilty of rape. Speaking outside the court ahead of Ntsimane’s appearance, Zille suggested that people accused of rape and positively linked through DNA evidence should receive a life sentence.
South Africans weigh in on the ANC’s update
Social media users weighed in on the ANC’s decision, sharing mixed reactions to it.
Piletji Sebola noted:
“He'd still be rightly referred to as a former ANC member, so and so.”
Moloko Mofamadi stated:
“He was not only an ANC member, but a branch executive member.”
John Smith suggested:
“The ANC should be removed.”
Mosanku Mpete Monyake claimed:
“The ANC is against GBV. No bail for the fake pastor.”
Greg Boyley Boyle said:
“They just want the attention.”
Thloriso Sello Malema claimed:
“Removing him will not make any difference. Rape is rape. Even leaders have raped our sisters.”
Other stories about religious leaders arrested for rape
Briefly News has reported on other articles where religious figures were accused of rape.
- A pastor from Khayelitsha in the Western Cape was arrested after he was accused of raping three congregants.
- An Edenburg pastor in the Free State was given two life sentences for raping his 12-year-old stepdaughter.
- Nigerian pastor, Timothy Omotoso, faced over 30 charges of rape, racketeering, assault and human trafficking.
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Source: Briefly News
