Pastor Mboro accused of threatening witness, but court rules he didn’t violate bail conditions

Paseka “Pastor Mboro” Motsoeneng can breathe a sigh of relief following a court ruling that found he had not violated his bail conditions, despite allegations from a witness.

Motsoeneng, along with his bodyguard, Clement Baloyi, and a close relative, appeared again at the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court in Ekurhuleni on Monday.

The leader of the Incredible Happenings Ministry had been granted bail of R3 000 on 12 September, after presenting new evidence.

Meanwhile, his bodyguard and the family member were released on warning.

Initially, both Motsoeneng and Baloyi had been denied bail on 19 August.

All the accused were ordered to avoid contact with state witnesses as part of their bail conditions.

Pastor Mboro accused of violating bail conditions

During Monday’s proceedings, the state argued that Motsoeneng violated his bail conditions by mentioning a witness’ name in several media interviews.

Motsoeneng accused the witness and her family of setting fire to his church in Katlehong, according to the state.

In an affidavit, one of the complainants, Masiolo Margaret Mazala, expressed that she and her family feel threatened by the pastor’s statements.

“He further told the media that he owns many firearms and that everybody knows. That statement alone threatened me and my family; we live in fear.

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“When we walk at the mall, people are threatening us saying that we burnt their church to ashes. I don’t feel comfortable with Pastor Mboro mentioning my name and that of my family,” the affidavit reads.

The prosecutor indicated that the investigating officer had been shown TikTok and YouTube clips on the complainant’s cellphone, which allegedly contained Motsoeneng’s statements as evidence of the violation.

She requested that the court issue a warning to Motsoeneng, urging him to refrain from mentioning the family’s names in the future.

Magistrate not convinced

However, Motsoeneng’s legal representative, Advocate Phillip Dlamini, argued the allegations of him breaking some of his bail conditions were baseless.

“We do not have a charge sheet nor were we informed of the names of witnesses. If the prosecution is trying to amend the bail conditions and is now informing us that Ms Mazala will be a witness is a new thing,” the lawyer said on Monday.

Dlamini argued that it was public knowledge the church had been burned down, and stated that his client would inevitably discuss the incident with the media.

“The allegations have no substance,” he added.

After a brief adjournment, the magistrate dismissed the state’s submissions, stating that the prosecution needed to provide further evidence to support the allegations.

READ MORE: Pastor Mboro ‘not a danger’ to Katlehong community, says defence

The presiding officer concluded that Motsoeneng might have been referring to a different Mazala.

“Under the circumstances after having listened to the state, the submissions and the incorrect assumption that the matter is brought under Section 64(c) [of Criminal Procedure Act], I am not convinced that at this stage the court should tamper or interfere with the conditions as previous placed by the court,” he ruled.

“It could be another Ms Mazala that burned down the church; as long as there was no mention of either the name, the initials or anything that will bear specific reference to the said person who is a witness in the matter. I am satisfied that there are no violations of the bail conditions at this stage.”

The case has been postponed to 11 November.

Motsoeneng previously offered a reward of R5 000 for information on the church arson as he claimed to have lost equipment valued at R1 million.

A new tent has since been erected, with the pastor holding his services since his release.

Pastor Mboro viral video

Motsoeneng, Baloyi and his relative face multiple charges that include kidnapping, possession of dangerous weapons and assault.

These charges stem from an incident at Matsediso Primary School in Katlehong, where the accused 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.

The incident intensified a custody dispute between the pastor’s relative and the children’s maternal family following the death of their mother.

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