Pastor given life sentence for rape of minors

 By: Staff writer 

The pastor from Seshego in Limpopo province Polokwane was sentenced on counts of rape, common assault and calling a person a witch.

The polokwane High Court  sentenced 58-year-old James Devine Thubakgale to life in prison for the rape and assault of underage church congregants, during the trial the court heard that Thubakgale(58) had presented himself to his congregants as a powerful man of God, who was able to heal the sick and cast away the devil and that he has been sent to this world to save them.

Thubakgale had targeted the young victims and had promised them marriage. He would then rape them ,If the victims refused him he would threaten them and their family members with death and sickness and when a girl defied him called her a witch. He would personally assault the victim in full view of fellow congregants.

The court sentenced him to life imprisonment plus an added 10 years imprisonment on two counts of rape and common assault. An additional four months was added on the count of calling a person a witch.

Thubakgale is already in jail after the Mankweng Regional Court sentenced him to two life imprisonment terms for rape of two minor girls for the incidents of 2011 and 2012. He was sentenced on 30 September 2020 for these offences.