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The 62-year-old reverend surrendered at the police station on Monday morning after the state filed a rape case against him.
Enoch Mthuthuzeli Ndlaku of the Methodist Church in Southern Africa, in the Transkei region and also the Bishop’s secretary is accused of raping a girl who was in the mission house in MaXesibeni in the Eastern Cape province. According to the report, this incident happened in 2012 and the victim was sixteen years old at the time.
Ndlaku surrendered at eMaxesibini police station and he appeared in the magistrate’s court on the same day. According to the allegations, Ndlaku’s victim is one of the young girls who stayed with the Pastor in the mission, for the purpose of being prayed for, for various health problems. This is said to have happened several times. The girl reported the matter the same year but the leaders of the church including her mother swept the incident under the carpet in the fear of embarrassing the church and the Pastor.
Reports say that the victim’s condition became so bad that she could not cope with her studies. There was a time when she could not go to school. Counseling was arranged for the victim to keep her in the right state of mind.
In 2021 his ex-wife Nonstikelelo Ndlaku reported the case to the Bishop of the church. Reverend Ndlaku confessed to raping the girl to the Bishop. The matter was taken to the police for investigation. On Monday last week, a warrant of arrest was issued for the arrest of Pastor Ndlaku.
The police went to arrest him from his home on Tuesday but could not find him. He allegedly called the police and told them he was in Lusikisiki to see his lawyer. That’s when it was decided that he should surrender. The state decided to take over and open the case on behalf of the victim because her mother did not want to. The case was adjourned for further investigation on the 15th of August and the accused is in custody.
