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Codelia Mondela, Court Reporter
A SALVATION Army Church pastor in Bulawayo who was recently arrested for allegedly raping a 19-year-old congregant twice, was yesterday brought to court but did not appear in court.

Paul Mudede (41) who allegedly impregnated the teenager and later gave her money to pay for an abortion, was advised to come back to court on December 7.

He allegedly raped the teenager at a hotel in Harare and at the church’s offices in Bulawayo last year.

According to court papers, Mudede allegedly proposed love to the teenager, who is a student at a local college, sometime last year and was turned down.

On September 30 last year, the woman was among congregants who attended a church service with Mudede in Harare.

Mudede allegedly invited the woman to his room and asked to be intimate.

When the woman refused, Mudede forcibly grabbed her, threw her onto the bed and allegedly raped her without protection. The woman kept the matter a secret according to court papers.

The following month on an unknown date, she went to Mudede’s work place to submit paper work. Mudede allegedly ushered the woman into an office and allegedly demanded sex. The woman refused and he pushed her against a wall. He allegedly raped her again.

The teenager again kept the matter a secret.

After some time the complainant discovered that she was pregnant and told Mudede.

He allegedly advised her to abort and gave her money for the medical procedure in February.

The woman allegedly terminated the pregnancy and later reported the matter to the police.

Last month, a pastor from Cowdray Park suburb in Bulawayo who turned a congregant (16) into a sex slave and infected her with HIV and genital warts, was ordered by the High Court to start serving his 25- year jail sentence.

Greatness Tapfuma (33), the founder of Kingdom Rulers International Church had been out on bail pending appeal since 2015. — @MondelaC.