Church leader 'ordered' to rape

South Africa - Angry residents of Guguletu threatened to tear down a church in the area after the church leader was charged with murder and rape.

The charges relate to an attack on a 30-year old woman and the alleged muti-murder of her nine-month-old baby boy at the weekend.

The man allegedly murdered the boy by burying him alive after allegedly "receiving an order" from his spiritual leader, a prominent sangoma.

The murder would have helped him to "become rich".

The church is apparently an independent Zionist church that has no official ties with churches.

The 43-year-old accused from Guguletu, Cape Town, appeared in the Wineberg magistrate's court on Monday on charges of murder, rape and attempted murder.

The court heard that the suspect was a traditional healer. The case was postponed until December 30 when he will apply for bail.