By: ANG Reporter
The Hawks in the Eastern Cape have hailed the decision by the Bizana High Court for sentencing self-proclaimed apostle Hlumelo Dywili (35) to six life imprisonment and additional five years for charges of rape, trafficking in persons, and compelling a person to witness a sexual act.
During July 2021, the 22-year-old female victim from Cape Town posted on Facebook that she was seeking employment. Thereafter, she received a friend request from a person called Apostle Hlumelo Dywili from Hlumelo Dywili Ministries and she accepted the request. She then received a message on Facebook messenger referring to her post about seeking employment and the sender requested her contact number. Through desperation, she forwarded her contact numbers.
Apostle Dywili then told her that he was a pastor and required a clerk to work at his church. Dywili later called the victim and told her that there was a position for her and that he required her to come and work for him. The victim heard the voice of a female person whom she was made to believe to be the wife of the pastor hence her belief in the authenticity of the deal. Dywili then booked a bus ticket for the victim to travel to the Eastern Cape. Soon after her arrival, Dywili started sexually molesting and ill-treating her.
There was an interview held with Apostle Dywili on a local radio station where Dywili said that he was helping people by praying for their healing and assistance in finding employment. Three other victims heard the interview with Dywili and contacted him. He promised them employment and soon after their arrival, he raped them too. They eventually managed to escape but the first victim had nowhere to go and the abuse continued.
She was then rescued by a neighbour who took her to the police station. Dywili was then arrested by Bizana SAPS members on 22 August 2021. The case was then assigned to the East London-based Serious Organised Crime Investigation team of the Hawks for intensive probing. Dywili was remanded in custody ever since his arrest as he was denied bail and he later abandoned his bail application.
On 29 August 2022, he was convicted on four counts of rape, two counts of trafficking in persons, and one count of compelling a person to witness a sexual act.
