Times Of Swaziland: GOGO (79) ACCUSES PASTOR OF REPEATEDLY RAPING HER

GOGO (79) ACCUSES PASTOR OF REPEATEDLY RAPING HER
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Phiwase Phungwayo on 15/03/2021 15:04:00


MBABANE – As cases of gender-based violence continue to increase in the
country, the safety of the elderly is not guaranteed.
This is because an elderly woman from an area not far from the capital city has
claimed to have been repeatedly raped by a pastor who is known to her, while the
police faced a challenge of transport to get to her residence to investigate the
matter. The parties involved in the story and the exact location will not be
revealed to protect the victim of the alleged rape.
Children
During a visit to the elderly woman’s homestead, she was found in the company
of her two children who declared that they were currently staying with their
mother to watch over her while police were still investigating the matter. The
elderly woman stays alone in her homestead in the rural area. According to *Gogo
Ellinah (79), she was allegedly first raped on February 17, 2021 by the man who
is said to be a pastor in one of the churches in the area. The elderly woman
narrated that she was asleep at night when she was awakened by a figure of a man
in her bedroom. Gogo Ellinah further narrated that the man strangled her, but
she tried to strangle the man back.
However, she purported that the man, who carried a knife, overpowered her,
forced himself on her and raped her. She alleged that he asked where her money,
which she was given by her children, was. Gogo Ellinah claimed that it was then
that she recognised the voice of the pastor who she was familiar with in the
area. The elderly woman alleged that the man went away with her cellphone. She
alleged that he threatened to kill her if she ever told anyone in the area, and
later disappeared into the night.
Neighbours
“On the following day, I told one of my neighbours who called the community
police and the police were called,” narrated Gogo Ellinah. However, she said
she got no help as the police allegedly did not act promptly, since there were
issues of transport in the police service. She alleged that the community police
engaged the man on the matter, who denied that he had raped and stolen from the
elderly woman. Gogo Ellinah further claimed that last Monday, the same man
arrived when she was asleep and raped her. She purported that she informed one
of her neighbours who reported the matter to her children and the police.
“The police came last Wednesday to record statements and I was taken to the
hospital for checkups,” narrated the elderly woman. She added that the man
who, she claims sexually violated her, was also taken for questioning and was
later released. “I am living in fear for my life because I do not know when
this man may come back and do evil to me. I have never been with a man for 40
years since my husband died and now this man comes and violates me,” the
elderly woman said in between sobs. She further expressed that she had lost hope
in the justice system because the man who had allegedly raped her was moving
freely in the community.
Accused
Attempts to get the man who is accused of the rape proved futile as this
reporter did not find him where he is said to reside. One of the elderly
woman’s children declared that she was currently taking her mother for
counselling. Deputy Police Information and Communications Officer Inspector
Nosipho Mnguni confirmed that the matter was reported to the police. Mnguni said
the police were still investigating the matter. “We do not arrest to
investigate, but investigate to arrest. If we do the former, we may arrest an
innocent person and this may put government in trouble,” she said. The deputy
police mouthpiece assured that the police were acting on the matter and would
ensure that justice was served.