By Ebi Kesiena
South Africa’s Commission for Gender Equality (CGE) has renewed calls for urgent and comprehensive child safeguarding measures in religious institutions, following a disturbing rise in sexual abuse cases involving church leaders across the country.
The latest call to action comes in the wake of the recent conviction of a KwaZulu-Natal pastor found guilty of a string of sexual crimes against 12 children. The 59-year-old cleric, who posed as a spiritual mentor, was last month convicted on nine counts of rape, one count of attempted rape, seven counts of sexual assault, and seven counts of exposing minors to pornography.
On July 23, a provincial court handed down one of the harshest sentences in recent years, 10 life terms plus an additional 70 years in prison. The court ruled in line with the mandatory life sentences prescribed under South Africa’s Criminal Law Amendment Act, rejecting any possibility of leniency.
According to court findings, the victims, 10 boys and two girls aged between seven and 14, were targeted between 2020 and 2022. They were lured to the pastor’s rented premises under the guise of receiving spiritual guidance or assistance with household chores. Instead, they endured repeated sexual violations.
The CGE, which had been monitoring the trial as part of its ongoing efforts to combat gender-based violence, welcomed the court’s firm stance, noting that the ruling delivered a strong message to perpetrators who exploit religious authority to prey on vulnerable minors.
However, the commission stressed that the KwaZulu-Natal case is not an isolated incident. It pointed to recent convictions in Limpopo, Free State, and North West provinces, where self-proclaimed pastors were each sentenced to life imprisonment for the rape of minors. In each of these cases, the offenders exploited their positions of trust within faith communities to commit heinous acts.
“These matters underscore the urgent need for child safeguarding mechanisms in all institutions, particularly those led by individuals in positions of trust,” the CGE said in a statement. It warned that without proactive measures, more children would remain vulnerable to abuse in environments meant to offer them moral and spiritual protection.
The commission urged both government authorities and religious organisations to implement concrete reforms, including compulsory safeguarding policies, independent oversight of church activities, and mandatory training for religious leaders on child protection. It also called for trauma-informed training for law enforcement officers and judicial officials to ensure sensitive handling of cases involving children.
Additionally, the CGE appealed for increased funding and resources for shelters and one-stop crisis centres that provide immediate protection, medical care, and counselling for victims of abuse. Such facilities, it said, are critical in breaking the cycle of exploitation and preventing long-term trauma.
With church attendance deeply embedded in South African society, the CGE’s warning serves as a stark reminder that faith-based institutions must be held to the highest standards of accountability. As the country continues its broader fight against gender-based violence, the commission insists that religious communities must be partners, not perpetrators, in safeguarding the nation’s children.
