SEGOSESE – A well-known church leader, Bishop Phineas Lesole Raholane (61) has briefly appeared in the Segosese magistrate's court on Monday on a charge of rape. The incident to which the case relates, took place at the Idieleng village in the Segosese area last Sunday afternoon at about 14:00.

According to the spokesperson of the police in Mopani, Capt Moatshe Ngoepe, it is alleged that on the day of the incident Raholane called the victim and told her that he wanted to send her to buy something for him from the nearby restaurant.

When the victim stepped inside the house, Raholane allegedly grabbed her and raped her repeatedly inside a room in the house. The victim is an 8-year-old girl, who resides in the same village as the accused. The girl then told her mother how the brutal incident took place and she in turn reported it to the police.

Raholane was arrested at his house later that afternoon. He was not asked to plead and the matter was postponed to February 20. He will remain in custody until his next court appearance, as his urgent application for bail was turned down.