Pastor denied bail for rapes
Teen ‘abused’ from 2009 until 2013
Controversial Limpopo pastor James Thubakgale was denied bail yesterday after pleading not guilty to five charges of rape, one of fraud and five counts of assault. The leader of the Devine Deliverance Church of Christ was appearing in the Seshego magistrate’s court. He was arrested on February 11 together with five senior members of his church who have all been released on R1,000 bail each. Thubakgale, 57, stands accused of raping a church member, starting in 2009 when she was 15 until 2013. He admitted knowing the alleged victim but denied raping her. He is also charged with fraud for the change of ownership of a car belonging to Grace Nkosi, a church member. He confirmed knowledge of Nkosi’s car, which he said she offered to transport church elders in. The last charge relates to his alleged assault of Nkosi and her daughter Veronica in 2011, 2012 and 2015. Thubakgale said Nkosi manned the new Burgersfort branch he opened in 2010 from a tent. “I took her as my spiritual mother at the time,” he told the court.
Thubakgale said problems started after he erected a church building behind the tent in Burgersfort. “Church members had contributed towards the building of the church. This included contributions from Seshego.” The new church was opened on November 13 2016 and the main organiser of the event was Sophonia Mafa, one of his right-hand men arrested with him. Thubakgale said he was surprised when he arrived for the church opening to find that Nkosi had mobilised people to attack him. He said his cars were damaged and his congregants injured. “We then called paramedics but they refused to come as they said the place was volatile.”
He said community members organised by Nkosi smashed three buses and burnt four cars belonging to them. Thubakgale said his injured entourage managed to escape through unused roads, noting that the damage was estimated at R2.6m.
His bail application was postponed to Tuesday and he was remanded in custody.