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PASTOR ARRESTED FOR RAPE OF CONGREGANT

09/12/2021 08:47:00 BY NHLANGANISO MKHONTA

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MBABANE – A 30-year-old pastor was arrested for allegedly raping a congregant to whom he once allegedly sent explicit content.

Nkosinathi Makhabane, who is a pastor and a youth group leader at African Continent Mission Church, yesterday appeared at the Mbabane Magistrates Court for allegedly raping *Sonto (23), who is a church member though from a different branch. Makhabane is a pastor at the church’s Manzini branch.
Yesterday, the rape trial began where Sonto was testifying. The matter was heard by Mbabane Senior Magistrate Sifiso Vilakati.

The alleged rape took place on June 12, 2021 at or near Sidwashini in the Hhohho Region. Sonto told the court how she knew Makhabane. “He is the pastor at our church and a leader of the youth group. The name of our church is the African Continent Mission Church. I have known him for over four years. He is from the Manzini branch while I am in the Mbabane branch,” said Sonto.

Relationship

She told the court that she was not in a relationship with Makhabane because he was her pastor. She narrated that sometime in June 2021, while she was at work, she received a call from Makhabane, who enquired on her whereabouts and she told him she was at work. She said Makhabane asked her why she did not attend some church meeting they were having and she told him that she was at work.

She said the pastor asked to see her at Nkwalini bus station as he was waiting for her so they could go to Manzini together. She said she continued to work but later on texted him informing him that he should not wait for her. Sonto said after work, she then called Makhabane to confirm if he got the message but he responded to the negative. She said Makhabane told her that he did not pay attention to the message. Sonto told the court that since it was after work, she went home and Makhabane called her again, insisting that he was waiting for her at the bus station. She said she informed her grandmother and cousin that she was going to the bus station.

“When I got to the bus station, I went to his car and greeted him. He was alone in the car,” said Sonto. She told the court that Makhabane asked her to get inside the car and she did so. She said he then suggested that he should move the car to another place and when was she asked him where they were going, Makhabane said they were going to some place where he usually parked. She said Makhabane drove towards Sidwashini cemetery and he then drove to a soccer field where he parked the car,” she said.

Sonto said she asked Makhabane about the church meeting he went to and he said the meeting was a church business yet at this time he was now on another mission. The Crown asked Sonto what came into her mind when Makhabane told her he was now on another mission. In her response, Sonto said she was shocked but then remembered that Makhabane once proposed love to her. Sonto said while they were sitting in Makhabane’s car, she told him that she would not sleep with him. She said Makhabane told her that she should forget about that. Sonto told the court that just after saying that, Makhabane allegedly pulled her by her jacket and lowered the seat she occupied. Sonto alleged that Makhabane then forced himself on her without protection.

Apologising

She alleged that after the incident, Makhabane drove her back home and she took a bath and slept. She told the court that the next day which was a Sunday, Makhabane allegedly sent her a message apologising about what happened the night before, asking her to find it in her heart to forgive him. After delivering her testimony, Magistrate Vilakati told Sonto that it was procedural that the defence of the accused cross examine her. Vilakati said it was unfortunate that such could not happen as the defence had applied for the Crown to provide the police statements which were recorded with regard to the matter. Vilakati said the Crown would provide the defence with the statement as it was also procedure that the Crown be provided with all the paperwork or anything they needed to prepare for their defence. The matter returns to court on January 5, 2022 where the defence will cross examine Sonto.