POLOKWANE – A 58-year-old pastor from Seshego was convicted for the rape and assault of underage church congregants between 2010 and 2017.
James Devine Thubakgale appeared in the High Court of South Africa: Limpopo Division, Polokwane on Monday, 15 March and was found guilty on three counts of rape, assault common and a count of calling a person a witch.
“Thubakgale of Devine Deliverance Church based in Seshego, 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. He would command to be called a Judge as he is going to be a Judge with God at the end of the world,” Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi, Regional Spokesperson for the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP) Limpopo said in a statement.
“The congregants in his church respected, obeyed and took orders from him as they believed that he was part of the holy trinity and was closest to God. No matter his order they would obey as he promised them that they would go to heaven.”
During the trial, the court heard that Thubakgale targeted girls under the age of 16 (the complainants). He promised them marriage, telling them that it was God himself who wanted that they be married. Should the complainants refuse to either to marry him or have sexual intercourse with him, he would threaten them and their family members with death and sickness.
“The victims believed that the accused was telling them the truth and they fulfilled his requests as they were promised that they would see heaven.”
Malabi-Dzhangi added that when a complaint defied him he called them a witch and would personally assault the complainants in full view of fellow congregants.
On Monday, Judge Muller found Thubakgale guilty on all counts. He is expected to re-appear on 24 March for sentencing.
Thubakgale was in September 2020, sentenced to two life imprisonment terms for two counts of rape of minor girls in 2011 and 2012.
Read more: Local pastor who raped girls to ‘deliver them from evil spirits’ sentenced to life in prison
