Johannesburg – When the biblical James – the brother of the Lord – proclaimed the Gospel, writing: “So for one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, for him it is a sin,” he could very well have been prophesying about Pastor Paseka “Mboro” Motsoeneng.
A day after his Incredible Happenings Church was torched, Pastor Mboro and his co-accused cut sorry figures in the dock at the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court.
Gone was the frightening sight of Pastor Mboro wielding a panga while flanked by a bodyguard with a long gun.
His threat of violence was so stark, that professional counselors had to be dispatched to the school to deal with the resultant trauma experienced by schoolchildren and teachers.
His church – a giant marquee – was torched in retaliation by locals in Katlehong, who were angered by Pastor Mboro’s unbecoming behaviour.
That was Monday when the panga-wielding pastor threatened staff at a Primary School in Katlehong before he forcibly removed his two grandchildren in what has since emerged the incident was the culmination of a custody battle.
The whole sorry episode was caught on camera and several video clips went viral after they were posted on social media.
The video clips evoked an outcry of criticism of Pastor Mboro’s threatening and intimidating behaviour.
RELATED: Gauteng Education MEC Chiloane Condemns Pastor Mboro’s Panga-Wielding Antics – The Bulrushes
On Tuesday, police said they had arrested Pastor Mboro and three other accused.
Today, Pastor Mboro and his co-accused – his son Vincent Revival Vincent Revival Motsoeneng, and bodyguard Clement Baloyi, appeared in the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.
Motsoeneng is the father of the two children who were forcibly removed from their primary school.
The trio face a string of charges including kidnapping, possession of dangerous weapons and unlicensed firearms, possession of prohibited firearms, assault by way of threat, pointing of firearms, discharging of a firearm, and malicious damage to property.
The pastor probably remembered the teachings of James when he was ordered to remain behind bars until next week Friday, (16 August 2024), when he will be allowed to apply for bail.
Perhaps James should have added: “He who knows the right thing and does it anyway will get spanked twice”.
The mother of the two children died recently and they were left in the custody of their maternal grandmother who has also been arrested along with an uncle on allegations they assaulted Pastor Mboro and his son.
The grandmother and uncle were granted bail of R1 000 each and will return to court next month, on 10 September 2924.
