Paseka 'Pastor Mboro' Motsoeneng (L) and Clement Baloyi appear at the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court on 7 August 2024. Picture: Michel Bega/The Citizen
Pastor Paseka ‘Mboro’ Motsoeneng’s legal representative, Advocate MoAfrika wa Maila. has criticised the delays in his client’s case.
Mboro and his bodyguard Clement Baloyi returned to the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court for his new bail application bid on “new facts”.
This is his second appearance after his case was postponed on Monday, 2 September.
The matter was postponed to today.
However, the matter was not heard in the morning as scheduled, and his lawyer has now lambasted the court for the delays.
“We are worried with how our case is being handled, how our client’s rights are being compromised. This matter was here last week and it has been postponed to this day. We were told that by 8:30am, this matter would start. We came here very early. The client has been here, we consulted and we’re still waiting,” Mboro’s lawyer told the media before the matter was called.
“Last week we came to court, this matter was called at 2:30pm and we only had one hour until 3:30pm to put up this complex application. We are worried about our client’s rights being compromised by the administration.
“We cannot fold our arms while our client is misrepresented. For every day that we come and his matter is not heard, we take an amount of at least R110 000. I’m paid, I’m not an NPO. Our client cannot keep on putting in money and his case is not being heard.”
The case was called just before lunch time on Monday, when a new witness is expected to take the stand.
Magistrate Katlego Mokoena denied bail for Mboro and his bodyguard on 19 August. His son was released on warning.
Mboro, Baloyi and his son face 12 charges, including kidnapping, possession of an unlicensed firearm, and assault.
This after an incident at Matsediso Primary School in Katlehong, where the accused allegedly kidnapped two minors on 5 August.
A video of the event went viral on social media, showing the three men armed with pangas and an assault rifle as they forcefully took the children.
READ MORE: ‘He deserves to be in jail,’ say Pastor Mboro’s family outside court
Mboro’s church was reduced to ashes after it was set on fire by a mob, predominantly composed of schoolchildren, just a day after his arrest.
The incident intensified a custody dispute between the pastor’s son and the children’s maternal family following the death of their mother.
The grandmother and the children’s uncle were also arrested, taking the total number of suspects to five.
They were granted bail of R1 000 each and will return to court on 10 September.
Additional reporting by Molefe Seeletsa
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