The Atteridgeville community remains in a state of shock and disbelief as the case against a local pastor and his two wives, who stand accused of the gruesome murder of a four-month-old infant and the rape of her mother, took a formal step forward on Monday.
Pastor Caiphus Mkhawane, alongside his co-accused Ntsako Mathebula and Amanda Mnguni, made a brief appearance at the Atteridgeville Magistrate’s Court in Pretoria. The proceedings were swiftly postponed to Friday to allow for further police investigation.
The trio faces a series of heinous charges, including conspiracy to commit murder and fraud. The allegations stem from a harrowing incident that occurred last week, when the body of the four-month-old baby was discovered in a shallow grave near the Hennops River.
According to reports, the infant’s mother had accompanied Mkhawane and one of his wives to the river under the guise of performing a ritual. It was there that the mother was allegedly raped and restrained. She eventually managed to escape and alert authorities, leading to a police manhunt that culminated in Mkhawane’s arrest in Diepsloot. Police subsequently apprehended his two wives, one of whom reportedly led investigators to the site where the infant’s body had been concealed.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana confirmed that the investigation has uncovered evidence of financial motive, specifically that a funeral policy had been taken out on the infant prior to the tragedy.
The revelation of a pre-existing insurance policy has sent shockwaves through the country, drawing sharp condemnation from Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) activists. Sihle Sibisi, President of the Kwanele Foundation, expressed her outrage at the cold, calculating nature of the crime.
“I am shocked to hear the merits of the case—that the pastor and his wives had opened a life insurance policy on the victims,” Sibisi stated. “That just shows that it is premeditated. It is absolutely gruesome. They are essentially doing business with people’s lives.”
For local leaders, the betrayal is deeply personal. Ward councillor Samuel Masilela lamented the violation of trust inherent in the case, noting that members of the public often turn to religious institutions for protection and spiritual sanctuary.
“We are shattered because we all believe that a church is a place of safety,” Masilela said. “When people go to church, they are seeking a place of safety, not death.”
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has publicly welcomed the arrests, signaling the government’s commitment to seeing justice served for the infant and her mother.
The three accused remain in custody and are expected back in the Atteridgeville Magistrate’s Court this Friday, where the focus will shift to their formal bail applications. Community members are expected to gather outside the court in protest, demanding that the accused be denied bail.
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