Rustenburg - Six people who were arrested after they were found naked at a church in Sondela near Rustenburg appeared briefly in court, North West police said.
Three men and three women, alleged to be members of an unidentified church, were arrested on Friday after they were found naked in a house used as a church. Eleven children were also found at the church.
“The only individual who was found wearing clothes was a 34-year-old female church leader. Subsequent to preliminary investigations, all children between the ages of 4 and 12, of which six are boys and five are girls, were removed from the house and handed to social workers for intervention, and ultimately placed under the care of other family members,” said North West police spokesperson, Brigadier Sabata Mokgwabone.
He said the six appeared in the Rustenburg Magistrate’s Court on Monday, and the case against them was postponed to June 13.
They are facing charges of crimen injuria and contravention of Section 22 of the Criminal Law ( Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act.
“According to information received, the house that was used as a church partially burnt on Friday due to items including a couch which were set alight by the church leader, who is also one of the accused persons. She was arrested and charged on Sunday, June 5, being discharged from the hospital where she was admitted two days earlier.”
According to locals, the pastor allegedly told church members on Wednesday (June 1) to take off their clothes as she had a vision that Jesus was coming back.
They had a night-long prayer service and no one was allowed to go outside.
On Friday, community members called the police after they suspected that something was “not right” at the church.
IOL