Mental Evaluation Ordered for One of the Accused in Hennops River Baby Murder Case
- Accused number one in the Hennops River baby murder case is to undergo a mental evaluation before proceedings continue
- The pastor and his two wives face a string of serious charges, including the premeditated murder of a four-month-old baby
- A supposed religious ritual at Hennops River is at the centre of the shocking allegations against the self-proclaimed pastor
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Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has spent a decade reporting on South Africa's political landscape, crime, and social issues. He worked as a newspaper journalist for 10 years before transitioning to online journalism.
GAUTENG - The Atteridgeville Magistrate's Court has postponed the case against self-proclaimed pastor Caiphus Mkhawane and his two co-accused, with the matter set to return on 29 October 2026.
The matter was postponed to allow accused number one, Ntsako Makhubela, to undergo a mental evaluation. The pastor was arrested along with his wives, Makhubela and Amanda Manono Mnguni.
The three appeared in court on Friday, 23 October, facing a catalogue of serious charges that include conspiracy to commit murder, premeditated murder, rape, human trafficking, kidnapping, fraud, and robbery with aggravating circumstances.
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Mkhawane and one of his wives, Mnguni, also abandoned their bail bids.
What do the charges relate to?
The charges relate to an alleged incident at the Hennops River on 7 October 2026, during what was presented to a 43-year-old woman as a religious ritual. According to reports, the woman accompanied the pastor and one of his wives to the river, where the rape took place.
Her four-month-old baby was allegedly abducted and killed as part of a scheme to fraudulently claim from a funeral policy taken out on the infant's life.
The case has drawn widespread attention and raised urgent questions about accountability among self-styled religious leaders operating outside formal church structures.
The next court date will primarily focus on arrangements for Makhubela's psychiatric assessment, a step that could have significant implications for how the case proceeds against all three accused.
Other stories about pastors being arrested
- A pastor from KwaZulu-Natal was allegedly arrested after paying lobola for 22 women and then defrauding them in the process.
- Televangelist pastor Timothy Omotoso was arrested on 10 May 2025 after the courts acquitted him of various charges.
- A pastor from Khayelitsha in the Western Cape was arrested after he was accused of the rape of three teen congregants.
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Source: Briefly News
