Pastor James Thubakgale sentenced to life in prison for rape of minors
The pastor from Seshego was sentenced on counts of rape, common assault and calling a person a witch.
POLOKWANE – The High Court of South Africa: Limpopo Division, Polokwane on Wednesday, 24 march sentenced 58-year-old James Devine Thubakgale to life in prison for the rape and assault of underage church congregants, confirmed Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi, Regional Spokesperson for the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP) Limpopo.
58-year-old James Devine Thubakgale was earlier found guilty on three counts of rape, assault common and a count of calling a person a witch.
During the trial the court heard that Thubakgale had presented himself to his congregants as a powerful man of God, who was able to heal the sick and cast away the devil and that he has been sent to this world to save them.
Malabi-Dzhangi explained that Thubakgale had targeted the young victims and had promised them marriage. He would then rape them.
If the victims refused him he would threaten them and their family members with death and sickness and when a girl defied him called her a witch. He would personally assault the victim in full view of fellow congregants.
These crimes were committed between 2010 and 2017.
Today in court state prosecutor, Advocate Eric Mabapa, asked the court to ‘remove the pastor permanently from the community’ as he had abused his position of assisting the people and he abused woman and children.
The court sentenced him to life imprisonment plus an added 10 years imprisonment on two counts of rape and common assault. An additional four months was added on the count of calling a person a witch.
Read more: Local pastor who raped girls to ‘deliver them from evil spirits’ sentenced to life in prison
Thubakgale is already in jail after the Mankweng Regional Court sentenced him to two life imprisonment terms for rape of two minor girls for the incidents of 2011 and 2012. He was sentenced on 30 September 2020 for these offences.
