Mboro 'has no regrets for helping his son', but wishes he had prayed more

Self-proclaimed prophet Paseka ‘Pastor Mboro’ Motsoeneng said he had no regrets about rescuing his son and is grateful that he caused no physical harm to anyone when he wielded pangas at Matshediso Primary School in August.

Mboro called journalists to his “Home of Wonders” in Germiston to “spill the beans” on the events that led to his arrest.

Sitting on green artificial grass outside with a plastered and unpainted wall behind him, Mboro told of his arrest and his time in prison awaiting his bail application.

The leader of Incredible Happenings Church was released on R3,000 bail last week after presenting new evidence to the Palm Ridge magistrate's court.

He said he would soon be launching a podcast to detail his experience in prison, but briefly explained that he was put in a cell with drug users and a gang leader.

“They put me with a gang leader. I slept on the floor and they gave me a [mattress] and I was told ‘There is no Mboro here’. But eventually, I was sleeping on the bed and he was on the floor.

“You have to pray, love, forgive, talk about the cross, until it changes them. I prayed one time — I couldn’t believe it, but everyone slept. They didn’t even have time to take drugs. Once you are in prison, you can’t hate drugs ... Drugs are a way for people to cope in there,” he said.

Mboro was with his son, Revival Motsoeneng, who was arrested with his father. A few metres away, guarding the gate to the home, was Vincent Baloyi, Mboro’s bodyguard who was accused of carrying a replica rifle on the day of the incident.

Asked by TimesLIVE whether he had any regrets for his actions that landed him in jail, he said he felt no shame in rescuing his son.

“My son was brutally beaten, and I’m a father. I don’t regret rescuing him because I never harmed anyone. I never shot at anyone, I never pointed anyone with a firearm. And I am grateful that I didn’t do that, and he didn’t take that weapon and hit them.

“I am glad that this happened because it showed me that no matter how angry I am, I shouldn’t kill anyone. Right now, I would have been under the police.

“Now police don’t have power over me. I haven’t done anything wrong. The only thing that I have learnt is that I should have prayed more, and I should have displayed more of the fruits of the spirit, and used the language of faith.

“Instead of where I want to raise insults, I should speak the word. I must slice them with the word — the Bible said the word of God is the sword. I will take the sword of God’s word and use it more, forgive more and worship God more and see these people as victims. We have learnt.”

Mboro returned to his church last week after it was set alight by angry schoolchildren and residents shortly after his arrest.

A new tent was erected at the same spot after his marquee-tent church burnt to the ground. Mboro said he was offering a reward of R5,000 for information on the arson as he had lost equipment valued at R1m.

“It will help the investigating officers. There will be a reward, and these people must come and account for and confess what happened because these children will have to be arrested for what they have done.

“As the person who owns the case, I have the power to bring reconciliation ... If there is a case, there is something that binds them to comply. We need reconciliation. The principals must account. We can’t have schools used.”

TimesLIVE