A Free State pastor has been arrested and charged with common assault after he allegedly assaulted his girlfriend on Sunday.

Pastor Rorisang Komako of Work of the Kingdom of God appeared in the Phuthaditjhaba magistrate’s court in the Free State on Tuesday for allegedly beating his 26-year-old girlfriend.

He was released on bail.

Police spokesperson Sergeant Mmako Mophiring said the couple had an argument after Komako refused to let the woman return to Johannesburg.

He said a case of common assault was opened against the pastor.

The girlfriend, who did not want to be named, said she was invited by the minister to a youth service.

"I arrived in Qwaqwa around 1pm in the afternoon on Saturday and booked at the hotel together with my sister because I was meant to leave the next day after the main church service.”

She said after the service on Sunday, Komako left  the church and said he had something he needed to attend to and told her to go and wait at the hotel so that he could drive her home later.

“He then arrived very late, around 9 pm in the night, and I told him I had to return to Johannesburg because I was working the next day but he refused to take me home,” said the woman.

The woman said she had an argument with the pastor when she wanted to leave. She said she finally stood up and went to the car to put her bags in when Komako allegedly came inside the driver’s seat as if he was taking her home.

“He then drove off and started slapping me and beating me inside the car while my sister remained at the hotel,” she said.

She said the pastor stopped the car and kept on punching her while she screamed.

"He then drove to the police station and parked inside, pulled me out by my arm and kept dragging me on the ground on my back.”

The woman said the pastor then left her on the ground and went into the police station where two policemen came out and assisted her to get up.

“I was covered in dust and bleeding from my mouth and knee. I then went inside  the police station where the pastor tried to justify himself for beating me, alleging that I was not being submissive to him but I went ahead and opened the case,” she said.

“I am serving in the women’s ministry in my church and always counsel other women at church on abuse. I would be going against my values and teachings if I allow myself to stay in an abusive relationship and let this go because the man is a so-called man of God."

Spokesperson for Movement Against Abuse in Churches Solomon Ashom said: “We strongly condemn such behaviour as men of God and we need more men to step up and start respecting women.”

Komako’s lawyer Nkgaula Mokeona said: “The matter is now in court and sub -judice and we  cannot comment at this stage.”