{
  "id": 14956527,
  "title": "Rape, murder case against self-proclaimed pastor postponed",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/rape-murder-case-against-self-proclaimed-pastor-postponed",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-16T12:47:12.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "SABC News",
    "slug": "sabc-news",
    "url": "https://www.sabcnews.com/sabcnews/rape-murder-case-against-self-proclaimed-pastor-postponed/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A self-proclaimed pastor and two women have been accused of the murder and sexual assault of a four-month-old baby, according to prosecutors. The case has sparked calls for greater accountability among religious leaders. Caiphus Mkhawane, Ntsako Makhubela, and Amanda Mnguni appeared before the Atteridgeville Magistrate’s Court, facing charges such as premeditated murder, rape, human trafficking, kidnapping, fraud, and robbery with aggravating circumstances. The prosecution alleges that Mkhawane also raped the baby's mother during a religious cleansing ritual in the Hennops River in Centurion, where the infant's body was subsequently found in a shallow grave near the river.\n\nPastor Samuel Seale of The Coming Jesus Ministry dismissed Mkhawane as a \"ritualist,\" emphasizing the difference between a genuine pastor and a ritualist. Seale noted that Mkhawane, who does not have a church in Diepsloot, attends church under trees, labeling him as a ritualist.",
  "summary": "The state alleges Mkhawane also raped the infant's mother during a religious cleansing ritual.",
  "key_points": [
    "Self-proclaimed pastor Caiphus Mkhawane charged with murder and sexual assault.",
    "Baby's body found in shallow grave near Hennops River.",
    "Pastor Samuel Seale calls Mkhawane a ritualist."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}