A 36-year-old pastor accused of murdering a four-month-old baby and raping her mother is expected to appear in the Atteridgeville Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 12 October.
The suspect’s two wives are also expected in court in connection with the case, which has shocked Gauteng.
Police arrested the pastor on Saturday, 10 October, after tracking him to an informal settlement in Diepsloot, north of Johannesburg.
His arrest followed a manhunt after officers discovered the infant’s body buried in a shallow grave near the Hennops River last Wednesday.
PASTOR ARRESTED AFTER MANHUNT
Gauteng police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi confirmed that detectives and Crime Intelligence officers tracked down the suspect.
“He was found hiding in a backroom in Diepsloot informal settlement, with injuries,” Nevhuhulwi said.
The arrest brought the number of suspects in custody to three.
His two wives appeared before the Atteridgeville Magistrate’s Court on Friday, 9 October, with proceedings postponed to Monday.
Police are investigating kidnapping, rape and murder.
HOW DID THE FOUR-MONTH-OLD BABY DIE?
The incident unfolded on Wednesday, 7 October, when the 43-year-old mother accompanied the pastor and his 24-year-old wife to the Hennops River near the R511.
According to police, the woman believed they were going to perform a spiritual cleansing ritual.
The pastor’s wife allegedly remained with the baby while he took the mother towards the river.
Police allege that he raped the woman and tied her up.
She managed to free herself and ran to a nearby construction site, where workers helped her alert a private security company and police.
Officers launched a search for the missing infant.
The operation involved detectives, search-and-rescue teams, Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences investigators, and drone operators.
Police later located and questioned the pastor’s 24-year-old wife.
She allegedly led investigators to a shallow grave where they discovered the baby’s body.
The circumstances surrounding the infant’s death remain under investigation.
MOTHER SPEAKS OUT AFTER BABY’S DEATH
The child’s mother has since spoken publicly about the ordeal.
In an interview with Sowetan, she alleged that the pastor had contacted her days before the incident, claiming he had experienced a troubling dream about her family.
He allegedly told her she needed prayers and a cleansing ritual.
The woman said she had known the pastor for nearly four years and trusted him.
Her daughter, identified as Promise, was reportedly due to be buried on Tuesday.
LESUFI WELCOMES PASTOR’S ARREST
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi welcomed the arrest on Sunday, describing it as an important step towards securing justice for the mother and her family.
“We trust that the criminal justice system will also ensure that it takes its course and that the family will find some measure of justice,” Lesufi said.
The premier previously condemned the killing and urged police to ensure those responsible faced the law.