The case against controversial Pastor Paseka “Mboro” Motsoeneng is expected to return to the Palmridge Magistrates Court next month after a brief appearance on Monday.
Mboro, his son Revival, and his bodyguard, Vincent Baloyi, face 12 charges including kidnapping, intimidation, and possession of dangerous weapons.
They will be back in court on November 11.
Mboro and his co-accused were arrested in August after a viral video showed them brandishing two pangas and a rifle at a Katlehong primary school.
This was over an alleged custody dispute.
Revival was released on a warning. And 40 days after being in jail, Mboro was granted R3000 bail while Baloyi was also released on warning.
The State lost its attempt to detain Mboro and Baloyi in custody after it was established that this was a Schedule One matter rather than a Schedule Six one. Mboro’s legal team then successfully pressed and questioned the State about how he could kidnap his grandchildren.
Mboro was given bail with the condition that he must not speak to any witnesses, either directly or indirectly. The State said that Mboro broke this condition when he accused a witness of setting fire to his church on Monday. They wanted the terms of the bail modified.
Mboro’s legal representative, Phillip Dhlamini, told the court that it was public knowledge that the Incredible Happenings Church was burned down.
“The leader of the church will have to address the media about the church. Your worship, I believe that the allegation has no substance because there is no breach of bail conditions,” said Dhlamini.
However, Magistrate Ipfi Mammburu dismissed the State’s application, saying that the information received was not sufficient to conclude that Mboro violated the bail conditions.
“I am not convinced that at this stage the court should interfere with the conditions as previously backed by the court because it could be another Mrs Malaza that burned the church because it could be another Mrs Malaza who burned the church, as long as there was no mention of either the name or initial or anything that will bare specific reference to the said person who is a witness in the matter,” said Mammburu.
“I am satisfied that there are no violations of the bail conditions. It was only indicated that he should not directly or indirectly contact witnesses; this does not mean that he should not say anything or mention anything. Should he be doing so, it could just as well be that he is expressing his views as a complainant in the matter.”
During an adjournment, Mboro and Incredible Happenings Church members were seen kneeling, turning around while praying before he went back to the dock.
Speaking outside of court after the case was postponed, Mboro said that numerous lies were spread to ensure his continued incarceration.
“In the interviews I have done, there’s not a single day where I intimidated anyone. There is nowhere I said somebody must be hanged. I am a complainant in the case, my son is a complainant in the case of assault, malicious damage to my cars. My son’s face was bruised, he was abducted by the kidnappers.
“The kidnappers are in the family (he mentioned them but we cannot). My case was about me, there are videos that are spreading all over from these families where the children are seen… it is posted by them where I am holding pangas. Those pangas that were used to unlock where my son was abducted and beaten. The information that was given to the public and the media by the families, I have to explain because my face is there,” said Mboro.
Additionally, he stated that since the families were discussing them, they had a right to reply. “I am glad that the magistrate did not find me guilty. I was kept unlawfully for 40 days,” said Mboro.
He also accused some media houses of wanting to crucify him.
Forensic and crime expert Calvin Rafadi cautioned Mboro.
“Mboro should not be too excited about bail. The matter is yet to clear or find him guilty by the court trial. He must also familiarise himself with the phrase sub judice and stop all this unnecessary drama. Court is another casualty,“ he said.
The Star
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