Pastor Mboro’s Katlehong church torched after alleged school abduction (2024)

Gauteng police have confirmed the arrest of five people for alleged acts of intimidation and violence at a primary school in Katlehong, Gauteng, on Monday, 5 August. Controversial pastor Paseka Mboro Motsoeneng, better known as Pastor Mboro, was allegedly involved.

Police spokesperson Noxolo Kweza said, “They are facing charges including assault, handling a firearm recklessly that could endanger lives and property, rendering security services while not registered, malicious damage to property and intimidation.”

Kweza added that a replica firearm and a panga were confiscated, and one of the five men was arrested for allegedly assaulting the station commander at Katlehong North police station.

While it’s unclear whether Mboro was among those arrested, Kweza told Daily Maverick that the names of those arrested could not be published as they had not yet appeared in court.

The five individuals are expected to appear in Palm Ridge Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.

The arrests follow the circulation of a one-minute, 47-second video allegedly taken at Matsediso Primary School in Katlehong, Ekurhuleni, on Monday. The video appears to show Mboro and another man wielding pangas, while a masked man carries what seems to be a rifle. On the other side of a closed orange gate, two men are seen having an intense interaction.

In the video, one man is heard saying, “kebana ba hae” (they are his children), while Mboro threatens, “Come to me, you will see, touch me, you will see.” (Watch the video here.)

Custody dispute

The exact cause of the tensions or the reason for the alleged abduction remain unclear. However, a statement from the Gauteng Department of Education suggested a conflict between two families over the custody of two boys enrolled at the school had been escalating.

The statement detailed that the mother of the children died in April, leading to a dispute between the paternal and maternal sides of the family.

The department said that on the day of the incident, the father had a meeting with the principal in the morning. Later, the maternal grandmother, the alleged guardian of the children, also met the principal to report a conflict from a weekend meeting at the paternal grandfather’s house. The statement also said Mboro was the paternal grandfather.

The deputy principal and some staff members refused to release the children without the grandmother’s permission. This led to the pastor arriving at the school with bodyguards and weapons.

The incident unfolded when the father came to fetch the children, accompanied by two men each armed with a panga, one being the pastor, while the third carried what appeared to be a rifle. Teachers, acting on the alleged instructions from the grandmother, tried to prevent the father from leaving the school premises with the children. In response, the pastor brandished a panga at the teachers, allowing the father to leave with the children.

Mboro’s response

In another circulated video, Mboro stands outside what appears to be a police station, justifying his actions during the incident at Matsediso Primary School. Mboro stated, “I had to go into that school and rescue my son. We fight for our own and stick together.”

According to Mboro, his son was behind the security gate, accusing a male teacher of assaulting him by kicking him in the head. Mboro also alleged that the maternal family of his grandsons wanted to take the children away while still demanding maintenance payments from him.

Pastor Mboro side side of the story of what happened.#Mihlali #Chiddima Musa khawula Leeroy Miss SA pic.twitter.com/c1t2Nd0y0K

See Also

Rioter bitten on backside by police dog cries in court

— Khalid (@Anti_ADOS) August 5, 2024

Church ablaze

The incident has sparked outrage among scholars and the community, leading to the burning down of Mboro’s Incredible Happenings Church marquee tent in Katlehong on Tuesday. It is reported that pupils, with the help of the community, torched the church.

A resident named Kgopotso told Daily Maverick, “We are very disappointed by the situation. Mboro provoked the students and this was their reaction to his bad behaviour. You can’t go to a school, even worse, a primary school, with such weapons and carry yourself in that way.”

Supporters of Mboro, who declined to go on record, said they viewed his actions as a testimony, or a test of faith, and saw nothing wrong, as they held a caucus at the burnt church.

Schools ‘no place for weapons’

Police Minister Senzo Mchunu said it was unacceptable for people with guns and pangas to cause trouble at schools. He confirmed that several individuals had been arrested and that more arrests were possible.

Minister of Education Siviwe Gwarube echoed this sentiment, stating she was “absolutely incensed” by the attack. She emphasised that schools should be safe places for teaching and learning, and no one should break into schools with weapons.

Oratile Levuno, president of the South African Union of Learners, condemned the incident, calling Mboro’s actions disheartening and unacceptable. He stressed that schools should be places of safety, peace, and learning.

Levuno also criticised the burning of the church as an “abhorrent and senseless reaction” and called out the lack of decisive intervention by the police and the Department of Basic Education.

ActionSA has called for immediate action to bring the perpetrators to justice and ensure the safety of staff and pupils at Matsediso Primary School.

“It is vital to ensure that our children can learn in a peaceful and conducive environment. All stakeholders, including the Department of Basic Education, the provincial government and law enforcement must work collectively to safeguard this fundamental right,” the statement read.

The Gauteng provincial legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Community Safety has called on law enforcement to act decisively when dealing with the case of Mboro.

“No form of action can justify the violent actions of Mboro, particularly in a schooling environment where children are expected to be taught in a safe and secure setting. His violent actions which endangered the safety and wellbeing of others must be condemned… it is unacceptable and represents a gross violation of the trust placed in him as a pastor in his community.

“The committee calls on Law Enforcement Authorities to make Mboro’s case a harsh example to anyone who thinks they can act with impunity by threatening and endangering the lives of others,” said Bandile Masuku, chairperson of community safety in the Gauteng legislature. DM