By Doreen Mokgolo
- Pastor Mboro was told off for praying during his court appearance where he faces charges of kidnapping his grandchildren at gunpoint from their school.
- His church has been burned down and two lawyers have quit the case since it started in August.
Pastor Paseka “Mboro” Motsoeneng was ordered to stop praying during his court appearance at Palm Ridge on Monday, where he faces kidnapping charges.
Magistrate Ipfi Mammburu told him off for looking up and murmuring prayers during the hearing.
“You cannot pray while the court is in session. I am explaining the consequences for failure to appear, and you are looking up as if you are praying. That is not an appropriate way to do things,” he said.
Mboro and his son, Vincent Motsoeneng, are accused of taking Mboro’s grandchildren from Matshidiso Primary School with firearms and pangas in August.
The pastor said he’s done nothing wrong.
“There is no case against us. How can a surviving parent kidnap his own children? The law of this country clearly states that if one parent dies, the surviving parent is given full custody of the children.”
Mboro was granted R3,000 bail, while his son and bodyguard, Clement Baloi, were released on a warning. They must not contact the children’s maternal family or visit their schools.
Outside court, Mboro claimed he was being unfairly treated.
“Our church was burned down, we don’t even have a sound system, and over R1-million is gone. The state told us the people want to kill us and destroy our church for kidnapping our children who were born in my house,” he said.
The case moves to Palm Ridge Regional Court on 26 November. Mboro’s lawyer has quit — the second one to leave since the case started.
Pictured above: Pastor Paseko Mboro.
Source: Doreen Mokgolo
