ANOTHER pastor has appeared before the Manzini Magistrates Court after being charged with allegedly sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl.
Phiwayinkhosi Ngwenya (33), of Mpolonjeni, appeared before Principal Magistrate David Khumalo on Monday facing a charge of contravening Section 36(1)(a), read together with Section 36(1)(f)(ii), of the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence (SODV) Act No. 15 of 2018.
The alleged offence is said to have occurred on June 25, at or near Ngwane Park in Manzini.
According to the charge sheet, Ngwenya allegedly committed a sexual violation against a 15-year-old girl by kissing her twice on the mouth without her consent.
The identity of the complainant is known to this publication, but cannot be disclosed in accordance with the law and ethical standards protecting the identities of minors and survivors of sexual offences.
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Ngwenya, who is a pastor in one of the churches in Ngwane Park, was not required to plead during his initial court appearance, but rather, he was initially remanded in custody before successfully applying for bail.
The court granted him bail fixed at E3 000, subject to standard bail conditions. The matter was postponed to November 26, for trial.
According to information before the court, the case came to light after the pastor was allegedly seen kissing the minor, who is a Form II pupil in one of the schools in Manzini, while she was wearing her school uniform in a public setting.
According to information gathered, concerned neighbours allegedly became alarmed after witnessing the incident and alerted the girl’s father, who subsequently reported the matter to the Manzini Police.
The police later allegedly summoned Ngwenya for questioning before charging him under the SODV Act.
It is worth noting, however, that the allegations against Ngwenya remain before the courts and have not yet been tested. Meanwhile the arrest comes just weeks after another high-profile case involving a clergyman accused of serious sexual offences.
