The case has been postponed to 16 October for legal aid representation and bail investigations. Image: NPA
Gender-Based Violence
1Min
South Africa
Pastor and two women face serious charges after alleged attack on mother and infant
Pastor Caiphus Mkhawane and two women have appeared in the Atteridgeville Magistrates’ Court on charges including conspiracy to commit murder and fraud following an alleged incident involving a woman and her four-month-old child. The case has been postponed to 16 October for legal aid representation and bail investigations.
A pastor and two women have appeared in the Atteridgeville Magistrates’ Court in connection with the alleged rape of a woman and the murder of her four-month-old child.
Pastor Caiphus Mkhawane, 36, Tsako Angel Makhubela, 25, and Amanda Manono Mnguni, 32, appeared briefly in court on Monday, 12 October 2026.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said all three accused face charges of conspiracy to commit murder and fraud.
Mkhawane and Makhubela face additional charges of human trafficking, premeditated murder, rape, two counts of kidnapping and robbery with aggravating circumstances.
The NPA alleges that during August 2026, the accused took out several funeral policies in the name of the victim, who is the mother of the deceased infant.
The alleged incident occurred on 7 October, when Mkhawane, Makhubela and the victim travelled to the Hennops River under the pretext of performing religious rituals to free the woman from evil spirits and protect her children.
Upon arriving near the river, the two accused allegedly instructed the woman to undress, tied her up and washed her using water from a bucket.
The pastor allegedly took the woman to the river, leaving the child with Makhubela. The NPA alleges that Mkhawane washed the woman again before raping her.
After the alleged rape, the pastor reportedly returned to collect the child from Makhubela. The two then allegedly went into the bushes, where the infant was killed.
The woman reportedly managed to escape and alert nearby construction workers, who assisted her in contacting the police.
Erasmia detectives arrested Makhubela on 7 October after the victim allegedly identified her. Mnguni was arrested later that day, while Mkhawane was arrested on 10 October.
The matter was postponed to 16 October 2026 for legal aid representation and bail investigations.
The NPA said it remained committed to ensuring that perpetrators of gender-based violence and related offences are held accountable through the criminal justice system.
