A PASTOR (44) accused of raping a pupil (15) has been released on R10 000 bail by Mkhuhlu Magistrates Court on Thursday, 1 June.
The School Governing Body (SGB) member was given bail with conditions attached that he must move to the alternative address given to the court and not interfere with the victim or investigating officers.
He had been behind bars since 23 May, facing a schedule six offence for raping a minor.
During a lengthy bail application on Tuesday, 30 May, Clive Masinga told the same court that he would plead not guilty to the charges against him.
This comes after his defence lawyer Advocate December Ndlovu argued that his client was innocent.
He insisted that the state had a weak case against him and that his wife and kids would starve if he remained behind bars.
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He said he should be released on bail and relocate to an alternative address given to the court as his client was not a flight risk or would evade his trial, as he cooperated and handed himself to the police when they were looking for him.
But the investigating officer, Detective Sergeant Bridgette Siwela, opposed his bail with safety fears for the victim.
She said the accused had a previous record of convictions with five years of suspended sentence for attempted murder in May 2021.
“During our investigations, we found that the community out there, even the pupils are angry and protesting opposing his bail. They don't want him back anymore,” Siwela said.
She said on 20 May, the victim and other fellow pupils had gone to Lydenburg in Mpumalanga for the school choir singing competition and returned at night.
Siwela said the accused offered to accompany the victim to her home in his car as her neighbour.
She said he then dropped off a man who was with them on the way.
Instead of taking the victim to her home, he took her to another place where he raped her.
The matter has been postponed until 6 July for further investigations.
