A priest and four of his congregants in a small Eastern Cape town have appeared in court in connection with the murder of a seven-year-old epileptic girl out of whom they had allegedly tried to drive demons.

Pastor Lonwabo Thando and other members of the Humansdorp-based African Gospel Church were also charged with the attempted murder of a 25-year-old woman. Neighbours sang and danced in front of the church house after hearing that Thando, 30, and four others - Mhlabelesi Nodaka, 22, Unathi Norushu, 22, Nteboheng Thukani, 21, and Busisiwe Thukani, 21 - would remain in custody until Monday.

Little Mihlali Ngcongco Mazantsi died on her way to hospital on November 6. She had been sent to the church by her mother, Nomaxabiso, after a friend had told her that the church could heal her child through prayer.

Mazantsi said: "On our arrival in Humansdorp, Pastor Lonwabo Thando told me she had to live in the house for her to receive deliverance.

''On the Sunday she died, I had visited her. I was in the same house all weekend but wasn't allowed to see her even though I had slept in the opposite room.

Mazantsi said she was shocked when she saw her daughter. "My child was weak, her face was swollen so much that she couldn't open her left eye. She started coughing and vomiting, and her eyes were rolling.''

The child died on the way to hospital.

Police spokesman Priscilla Naidu said the postmortem results showed Mihlali had suffered both internal and external injuries.

Naidu added that the 25-year-old attempted murder complainant had suffered physical injuries and had ''bruises all over her body."