Pastor Paseka Motsoeneng, also known as Pastor Mboro, has been facing allegations of misappropriating church funds since 2018 and now faces more charges, including kidnapping and assault. This week, Mboro and his bodyguard, Clement Baloyi, were denied bail on 12 schedule five charges including kidnapping, possession of a dangerous weapon, possession of an unlicensed weapon, assault, and the discharging and pointing of a firearm.
Mboro's 27-year-old son, father of two children who are embroiled in a custody battle and were dragged out of school by a panga-wielding man in the entourage, was released on warning. The court had previously placed the boys in the custody of their grandmother pending court action between their late mother’s family and their father and his relatives.
In Mboro’s world, vaginas are “biscuits” and penises “vuvuzelas”, and women are encouraged to bring underwear for “the prophet” to bless and you can buy petroleum jelly “anointed” by the chosen one. His obsession with human sexual reproductive organs is no secret. He runs a TV and radio station of his own where “worshippers” can scoot in close to receive his special blessings and let his voice touch their underwear.
In court, Mboro’s legal team looked to the old patriarchs’ playbook, stating that this was all “a private” matter, a mere “domestic” trifle, and that in this instance state and church should be separated. However, prosecutor Pheello Vilakazi was having none of it. He claimed that the children were Mboro’s son’s “biological children and it is wrong for him to be charged with kidnapping”.
Mboro’s legal representative, advocate Phillip Dlamini, informed the court that the children “belonged” to Mboro’s son and he was only at the school to pick them up. It was only when Pastor Daddy allegedly learned his son “was under attack” that he headed off with his troops.
The court heard that Mboro had been arrested on nine occasions for breaking the law of the land. Each time the charges had been withdrawn. Mboro’s legal representative, advocate Phillip Dlamini, informed the court that the children “belonged” to Mboro’s son and it was only when Pastor Daddy allegedly learned his son “was under attack” that he headed off with his troops.
However, what is not to understand here is that Mboro has faced allegations in 2018 of misappropriating church funds to finance his celebrity millionaire lifestyle. Not only that, the court also heard that he owned multiple properties and had given several addresses to the police.
Religious institutions and public benefit organizations are tax-exempt in South Africa. Mboro knows this. The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has previously stated its intention to ensure that existing tax legislation directed at such institutions and their employees is applied. Applications need to be made for public benefit organization status, and those institutions that do not apply are fully taxable.
No wonder Mboro, who claimed to hear cats talking and feel an entity strangling him when he was young, opted to do the Lord’s work in South Africa. His branded products sell like hotcakes at his gatherings, but they might believe the profits from them are tax-free, but they ain’t.
This article is republished from Daily Maverick, written by Marianne Thamm. Click here to read the original article.
