THE witness who allegedly saw the pastor (39) beating up Kagisho claims he said: “As a servant of God, I’m going to punish you for stealing!”
This came after the pastor allegedly accused Kagisho Mokopanele (28) of breaking into the church early on Tuesday morning, hit him to death with a steel baseball bat and threw the body into the boot of his car. Kagisho’s body was found with severe head injuries in the street near his home in Bloemside, Mangaung, not far from the church where the priest preaches.
Kagisho’s uncle Vino Mokopanele (36) said he wasn’t at home when his nephew was accused of breaking into the church.
“I was told the priest came carrying a steel baseball bat and hit him before putting him in his boot and taking him away,” he said.
He said they received complaints about Kagisho breaking into the church.
“But it does not justify beating him to death,” he said.
Witness Tshepo Leribe (26) said the priest spoke of teaching Kagisho a lesson not to steal and said he’d punish him.
Brigadier Motantsi Makhele confirmed the incident and said the priest had been arrested.
Makhele told Daily Sun residents accused Kagisho of breaking into the Roman Catholic Church building in Bloemside. He said a church leader took the victim in his private car and drove away with him.
“Heidedal police were called to the scene and found a male victim brutally beaten in the face, head and body,” he said.
Paul Tatu of the Southern Africa Catholic Bishops Conference in Tshwane referred the SunTeam to Father Khahliso Mothae in Bloemfontein. Mothae said he couldn’t comment.
“I don’t know anything and nothing has come to my attention,” he said.
The priest appeared in the Bloemfontein Magistrates Court on Wednesday and was released on R500 bail. He will appear again on 24 February.
