PASTOR John Masilela (46) has been sentenced to 55 years imprisonment by the Kwamhlanga Regional Court on Friday, 1 September.
He faced four counts of rape, seven counts of sexual assault and one count of sexual grooming of children.
When delivering the verdict, Magistrate Merlene Greyrenstein said the sentence would serve as an example to others who commit similar crimes.
"The court has come to a decision to sentence the accused to 55 years in prison, and the sentence will run concurrently. The pastor sexually abused young men between the ages of 16 and 19 at his church from 2012 to 2017.
"He committed all these crimes at his Good Shepherd Christian Centre in Suncity near Kwamhlanga," said the magistrate.
Pastor John was arrested in May 2021 and released on R2 000 bail. Victims told the Daily Sun they were happy to see their abuser going down for a long time.
A victim (30) said he was happy with the sentence.
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"I feel like a heavy load has been removed from my shoulders. The sentence is good, and I'm happy he's going down for a long time. I wish the pain he caused can heal quickly, and maybe in good time, I'll be able to forgive him," he said.
Another victim (28) said: "My wish has been granted, and I'm over the moon. I'm satisfied with the sentence. He caused us pain that will remain engraved in our hearts for the rest of our lives."
One of the victims' parents said justice has been served.
"I never lost hope of coming to court to support my son. All these years I thought he was in good hands, not knowing he was being abused. The sentence is good, and I'm satisfied with it. The pastor doesn't deserve to live with people. He is a monster," she said.
