SA Woman, 43, went to river with pastor and his wife for blessing but ended up raped and her baby murdered

A South African pastor is on the run after he allegedly raped a 43-year-old mother and murdered her four-month-old baby at Hennops River near the R511 outside Diepsloot, Gauteng, on Wednesday, 7 October.

Police said the woman had gone to the river with the pastor and his 24-year-old wife for a ritual. On arrival, the pastor’s wife remained behind with the baby while the pastor and the woman walked towards the river.

The woman was allegedly raped and tied up. The pastor and his wife then fled the scene with the baby.

The mother managed to free herself and sought help at a nearby construction site. A private security company was called, and police were alerted.

Gauteng provincial police spokesperson Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi said a multidisciplinary team was immediately deployed to search for the infant and to locate the couple.

The team included crime scene management, search and rescue, general detectives, Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences detectives and drone operators.

The pastor’s wife was later located and questioned. She led investigators to a shallow grave where the baby’s body was found.

Police have opened cases of kidnapping, rape and murder.

“The investigation is under way, while the manhunt for the pastor continues,” Nevhuhulwi said in a statement issued late on Wednesday, 7 October.