Prophet: battle over legal costs

THE FIGHT between the CRL Rights Commission and prophet Paseka “Mboro” Motsoeneng escalated after both parties claimed victory in an earlier legal battle.

The CRL dared Mboro to stop making what it called “idle threats” and sue the commission and its chairperson for defamation – if he so wishes.

These were the bullish views of the commission’s spokesperson Mpiyakhe Mkholo yesterday, when reacting to Mboro’s withdrawn urgent interdict in the high court in Joburg for the commission not to arrest him.

Mboro was adamant in an interview with The Star yesterday he would not pay the CRL’s legal costs – as ordered by the court – and would sue CRL chairperson Thoko Mkhwanazi-Xaluva for telling people his arrest was imminent.

Mboro lodged the urgent interdict last week following an interview the commission’s chairperson gave to the SABC’s Question Time.

Mkhwanazi-Xaluva said during the interview that she wanted the prophet arrested for a 2016 case after he refused to provide documentation asked for by the commission during an inquiry into alleged abuses of religion.

Mkholo said Mkhwanazi-Xaluva had opened a criminal case against Mboro at Hillbrow police station on Tuesday “for the threats he has been making against the chairperson”.

Mboro said he was still pursuing the interdict and was awaiting footage from the SABC.