Pastor accused of raping girls during prayer sessions gets bail

Pastor Confidence Monyela at his bail hearing at the Lenyenye Magistrate’s Court in Limpopo. Picture: Supplied

Pastor Confidence Monyela at his bail hearing at the Lenyenye Magistrate’s Court in Limpopo. Picture: Supplied

Published Sep 20, 2017

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Tzaneen - Pastor Confidence Monyela, 32, who is accused of raping young girls during one-on-one prayer sessions, is out on R12 000 bail that was granted by the Lenyenye Magistrate’s Court.

Monyela, from Mariveni village near Nkowankowa outside Tzaneen, is accused of raping a 12-year-old girl, two 14-year-olds and a 16-year-old girl.

Monyela, of the Fire Prophetic Ministry Church in Burgersdorp and Thlabine Village, was arrested on August 25 by the police’s Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit in Tzaneen.

It is alleged that the pastor raped all his victims inside the church between December 2016 and last month after inviting them to join him in private prayer sessions.

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It is alleged that he attacked and raped the girls while they were praying.

According to Limpopo police spokesperson Colonel Moatshe Ngoepe, Monyela’s bail conditions require him to report weekly at the Ritavi police station, and he may not leave the Tzaneen magisterial area.

Norah Sithole, the deputy chairperson of the ANC’s Ignatius Mathebula branch at Burgersdorp, said many people in the community were unhappy that the pastor was granted bail.

Members of the congregation pray for Pastor Confidence Monyela outside the Lenyenye Magistrate’s Court. Picture: Supplied

This was despite many of Monyela’s congregants having gathered outside the court to support him and pray for his release.

“We will keep on demonstrating outside the court because we believe that the State has a strong case against him,” said Sithole.

“We are not happy with the decision, but we are okay. The community doesn’t have a personal vendetta against the prophet, we just want all the court processes to be followed.

“There is still a trial that he will have to go through, and we will take it from there,” she said.

Monyela is expected to appear again at the Lenyenye Magistrate’s Court on October 6. -

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