A group of people arrived at the Palmridge Magistrate’s Court today calling for Panga Pastor Paseka “Mboro” Motsoeneng not to get bail.
Mboro and four suspects, including the maternal grandmother of the children involved, are yet to appear before the magistrate.
On Monday, Mboro, his son and his bodyguard went to Matsediso Primary School in Ekurhuleni wielding a rifle and pangas, intimidating teachers and traumatising learners.
The pastor is involved in an ongoing custody dispute, which is proving to be messy, after the mother of the children died earlier this year. It is reported that Mboro covered some of the funeral costs.
According to a source, Mboro went to the school where he found out that his son had allegedly been assaulted. A male teacher allegedly intervened and took him to another room.
“Mboro noticed that his son had been assaulted. That was when he fetched the pangas and his bodyguard brought the rifle. The uncle of the children was called in by the grandmother, who is also a teacher at the school,” said the source.
Kgadi Hlalele, a relative from the maternal side of the children, broke her silence outside court today. She told journalists that they did not know where the children were and revealed that there are three children in total.
“Among the children, there is one aged three, whom they don’t care about because he still needs more attention. The children have been living with their grandmother. We are still hurting due to the passing away of their mother. The children are taking treatment for TB and their mother died due to it.
“The father went to the school on Thursday and took them away. We left him, thinking he would bring back the children. On Friday, he failed to take them to school. These children need to take their treatment, hence, we wanted to give it to him but he did not listen. Mboro does not want the children to take the treatment,” said Hlalele.
Hlalele said the family asked police officers to accompany them to take the medication to the children, however, Mboro refused.
“He came out wielding the same panga in front of the police. So him being seen doing that at the school was not the first time. He knows he is untouchable,” said Hlalele.
When asked what she was hoping for today, Hlalele said she hoped that her sister and the uncle of the children could be released.
“My relatives must be released, they have done nothing, they are just advocating for the children’s well-being. We are not taking the children away from that family, we want to raise them and when they get older, the father can see them. This case was with social workers, the father had been seeing social workers, we don’t know what is Mboro’s problem,” she said.
Hlalele said Mboro is “arrogant” and “violent”.
She said he has a strong relationship with the police in Katlehong.
The Star