A bishop has been accused of rape by at least two women, including one who worked as an elder at his church for years.
The well-known Klerksdorp bishop, who leads one of the big churches in North West, has not been arrested but police said they were on his heels and would make an arrest soon.
A 36-year-old woman made public her allegations of rape by the bishop on social media, which led to another alleged victim coming forward.
Both women opened cases of rape with police on January 15. They alleged that the bishop, who cannot be named until he has pleaded in court, raped them and lured other young women to the church for sex.
Sitting at her home in Jouberton Extension 22, the 36- year-old alleged victim told Sowetan that the bishop had used her to help him lure other women to his church.
She said the pastor would call women to church for counselling and, on their arrival, demand to sleep with them.
"The women were then told not to talk about their experiences or the bishop would kill them," she said.
The woman said she joined the church in 2007 and her husband had left her in 2013.
"He [the bishop] even sought a protection order against my husband and told me that he would take care of me and get me employment," she said.
She claimed that the bishop gave her a car so that she could travel to lure other women to the church.
She said that the bishop had slept with her on countless occasions when he did not get the woman he wanted.
The second woman, 20, said she had kept quiet for two years because she feared for her life. But, after seeing a Facebook post by the woman she regarded as an elder at the church, she also found the courage to speak out.
"I wanted to speak out, I felt bad at that time, he told me not to scream or he would kill me," she said.
The bishop's son, who is also a pastor at the church, did not want to comment on the allegations but instead said the church had forgiven the women. "At our church we teach people to forgive. We forgave her, even the bishop forgave her," he said.
"We are just disturbed because the person who did that was someone we loved, and we still do."
Jouberton residents described the bishop as a man who drove flashy cars despite running his church services from a shack.
Police spokesman Brigadier Sabata Mokgwabone confirmed that two rape cases had been opened.
"The suspect is not yet arrested due to an ongoing investigation," he said.
Well-known Klerksdorp bishop faces rape allegations
A bishop has been accused of rape by at least two women, including one who worked as an elder at his church for years.
The well-known Klerksdorp bishop, who leads one of the big churches in North West, has not been arrested but police said they were on his heels and would make an arrest soon.
A 36-year-old woman made public her allegations of rape by the bishop on social media, which led to another alleged victim coming forward.
Both women opened cases of rape with police on January 15. They alleged that the bishop, who cannot be named until he has pleaded in court, raped them and lured other young women to the church for sex.
Sitting at her home in Jouberton Extension 22, the 36- year-old alleged victim told Sowetan that the bishop had used her to help him lure other women to his church.
She said the pastor would call women to church for counselling and, on their arrival, demand to sleep with them.
"The women were then told not to talk about their experiences or the bishop would kill them," she said.
The woman said she joined the church in 2007 and her husband had left her in 2013.
"He [the bishop] even sought a protection order against my husband and told me that he would take care of me and get me employment," she said.
She claimed that the bishop gave her a car so that she could travel to lure other women to the church.
She said that the bishop had slept with her on countless occasions when he did not get the woman he wanted.
The second woman, 20, said she had kept quiet for two years because she feared for her life. But, after seeing a Facebook post by the woman she regarded as an elder at the church, she also found the courage to speak out.
"I wanted to speak out, I felt bad at that time, he told me not to scream or he would kill me," she said.
The bishop's son, who is also a pastor at the church, did not want to comment on the allegations but instead said the church had forgiven the women. "At our church we teach people to forgive. We forgave her, even the bishop forgave her," he said.
"We are just disturbed because the person who did that was someone we loved, and we still do."
Jouberton residents described the bishop as a man who drove flashy cars despite running his church services from a shack.
Police spokesman Brigadier Sabata Mokgwabone confirmed that two rape cases had been opened.
"The suspect is not yet arrested due to an ongoing investigation," he said.
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