By Tendayi Madhomu

SDA Pastor in court

21 July 2016

A SEVENTH Day Adventist (SDA) pastor in Bulawayo allegedly fondled a female congregant, a senior city lawyer and boasted that he was ‘untouchable’ as none of  the congregants would believe the accusations, a court heard yesterday.

The complainant (name withheld) told the court that reporting her pastor to the church proved a waste of time as the church had down-played the matter as a ‘social misunderstanding’.

Pastor Brighton Ndebele (31) allegedly squeezed the 35-year-old legal practitioner to his chest, before holding her waist and fondling her buttocks after sharing lunch in her office, where they discussed church issues.

Ndebele who was represented by his lawyer, Job Sibanda pleaded not guilty to charges of indecent assault when he appeared before Magistrate Adelaide Mbewure at the Tredgold Magistrates Courts.

In her testimony, the complainant said she was shocked by her pastor’s actions.

“I was paralysed, time came to a standstill, and I only thought he was going to drag me to the sofas in the office, he was aggressive. I told him I was going to report him to the church leadership and he said they will not believe me. When I mentioned the conference president, Pator JB Sibanda, he said ‘he will do nothing’, she told the court.

“I had never hugged him before and I had no reason to hug him that day”.

In his defense outline Ndebele claimed they shared a consensual hug before they parted on the day in question.

The complainant alleged that Ndebele is a ‘womanizer’ who has repeatedly escaped with the similar offence.

“It was not the first time that the pastor terrorized a woman in the church, he had done almost the similar thing (to someone else) but nothing was done to him. Last year he terrorized a girl soon after baptizing her and started sending her messages. The local church leadership did nothing,” she said.

“The church refused to disassociate itself from the pastor as an individual. I am unhappy about the treatment they have given me. He should answer for his actions.

“They think it’s a social misunderstanding, yet it is criminal. What is social about touching another person’s buttocks? The church is not capacitated to deal with criminal matters.”

It is the state case that on April 20, this year at around 1230hours Ndebele went to the complainant’s workplace to discuss church business.

After the discussion and he was leaving the pastor solicited for a hug from the complainant, who refused.

He allegedly forcibly pulled the woman by the hand and forced her on to his chest, before proceeding to caress her on her back and buttocks.

The complainant related the matter to a fellow congregant and later reported the matter to the police.

The trial continues on July 26, 2016.