By Priya Ranchod
Police have launched an intensive manhunt for a pastor following the alleged rape of a 43-year-old woman and the murder of her four-month-old baby, whose body was discovered buried in a shallow grave near the Hennops River on Wednesday, 7 October 2026.
According to preliminary investigations, the mother had travelled to the Hennops River near the R511 road with a pastor and his wife to perform a religious ritual.
It is understood that upon arrival, the pastor's wife remained behind with the infant while the pastor and the woman proceeded towards the river. Police allege that the woman was subsequently raped and tied up.
Despite the traumatic ordeal, the victim managed to free herself and make her way to a nearby construction site, where she sought assistance. A private security company was alerted, and police were immediately notified of the incident.
A multidisciplinary team comprising Crime Scene Management, Search and Rescue, General Detectives, Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) detectives, as well as drone operators, was swiftly deployed to search for the missing baby and trace the whereabouts of the pastor and his wife.
During the investigation, the pastor's 24-year-old wife was located and questioned by police. She later led investigators to a shallow grave where the body of the four-month-old infant was recovered.
Police have since opened cases of kidnapping, rape and murder as investigations continue.
Gauteng police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi confirmed that the investigation remains active and that authorities are pursuing all available leads.
"A multidisciplinary team was immediately deployed to search for the missing infant and locate the pastor and his wife. The pastor's wife was subsequently traced and questioned, leading police to a shallow grave where the baby's body was recovered. Investigations are ongoing, and the manhunt for the pastor continues," said Nevhuhulwi.
Police have urged anyone with information that could assist in locating the suspect to come forward as efforts to bring those responsible to justice intensify.