Bogus Bushbuckridge pastor appears in court for house robbery

A man believed to be a pastor at a local church in Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga is expected to appear before the Bushbuckridge Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday on a charge of house robbery.

According to police spokesperson Brigadier Leonard Hlathi, the court appearance comes after the 33-year-old man was arrested for his alleged involvement in a house robbery earlier this week.

“Preliminary investigations have revealed that a 48-year-old woman from College View in Bushbuckridge was preparing to go to work and getting her 13-year-old daughter ready for school when a man wearing a balaclava suddenly entered their house with a firearm … and tied both of them with cable ties.

“The man then robbed the family of their household items, including a TV, car keys, a music system, as well as other items, before driving off with the stolen items in the victim’s Toyota Avanza,” Hlathi said.

The police were notified about the incident and a house robbery case was opened.

“They then went to the scene and started with their investigation, working in collaboration with a car-tracking company. They were led to a house in Violet Bank area, where items stolen during the robbery were found.”

The items were allegedly left there by a man, who is supposedly a pastor, who was driving the Toyota Avanza.

“Further investigation led police to the stolen vehicle which was found abandoned at Acornhoek area without its key. They then went to the suspect’s house [in] Malaineng, near Bushbuckridge, where they found him in possession of the car key.

“Police searched his place and also found a toy gun which they believe was the one used by the suspect earlier to commit the house robbery,” Hlathi added.

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