A PASTOR accused of raping a 15-year-old girl wants his bail conditions relaxed.
The 28-year-old founder of a church in Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga, is expected to bring an urgent court application in the Mkhuhlu Magistrates Court today. On Wednesday he was released on R10 000 bail. The court ordered him to stop conducting services and leave the area until the case is finalised.
It is alleged the victim had been raped three times after she was asked to attend a special prayer service at the church.
On Friday angry residents who were opposed to bail went on the rampage and burned down the church, which had been damaged by another fire the previous night.
They told Daily Sun they didn’t want to see the pastor anymore.
“We tried our best to destroy the church on Thursday night but this time we managed to burn it to the ground,” said a resident.
Cockroach Mdluli of Bushbuckridge’s fire and rescue services said: “On Thursday we responded fast and we saved it but this time when we arrived, everything was already damaged.”
The police’s Captain Ebbey Mathebula said a case of arson was being investigated but no arrests had been made.
