Government has welcomed the life imprisonment sentence the Springs Magistrate’s Court handed to a bishop on Wednesday, who had been found guilty of rape.
The leader of Trinity Apostolic Church, Jabu Ndaba (52), was sentenced to life imprisonment for raping a 15-year-old minor, who was a member of his church. He was handed a further 10-year sentence for two counts of sexual assault on the same victim. He was found guilty of the crimes in July this year.
“Government will not tolerate rape and any form of abuse against women and children. It becomes even more appalling when these crimes are committed by religious leaders, who claim to be servants of God. This is a precedent setting case, which indicates that perpetrators, irrespective of their position in society, will face the full might of the law.
“We must all spare a thought for this young child who has been violated in such a cruel and inhumane way by a person who was probably trusted and looked up to by his church members and the community.
“We hope this sentence will send a clear message that the abuse of women and children will not be tolerated,” said Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) acting Director General, Phumla Williams.
She said society must help to ensure that those who harm women and children face the full might of the criminal justice system, even if they are church members.
“Government remains committed to support victims of gender-based violence and will not hesitate to support society in calling for harsh sentences for the perpetrators of these crimes.
“We continue to adopt a zero-tolerance approach towards child abuse and we call on communities to partner with government to address this challenge,” said Williams.
She urged the public to report violence and abuse against children on Crime Stop - 08600 10 111; Child line - 0800 055 555; Department of Social Development - 0800 428 428 (0800 GBV GBV) or dial *120*7867# (free) from any cell phone. – SAnews.gov.za
