AFM vice-president resigns following pastor murder charge
Goitsemodimo Kaelo | Tuesday April 11, 2017 16:48
Pastor Mmoloki Mogokgwane who has been serving as the church’s national council vice-president resigned last week, just days after Mogomotsi was charged with murder of his wife.
The pastor of the Mochudi assembly of the church was kidnapped, assaulted and left for dead a fortnight ago.
The assault resulted in him getting hospitalised with serious head injuries after kidnappers allegedly held him for 12 hours, from 3pm to 3am.
His alleged attackers, Thapelo Obakeng Tlhase (25) and Mokganedi Porogwane (47) have also been charged with the murder of Dianah Ompelege Mogomotsi that happened on January 5, 2017. The murder charge has caused divisions within the biggest Pentecostal church with membership of over 16,000 nationwide.
It is said that Mogokgwane, a pastor at Mogoditshane AFM and some members of the church’s leaders were not happy with decision to engage attorneys to defend pastor Mogomotsi in the murder case.
Furthermore, Mmegi has information to the effect that Mogokgwane is not happy with the way the church handled Mogomotsi’s case by letting him to continue to hold positions in the church even though he was an accused in a murder case. When contacted for comment, Pastor Mogokgwane confirmed his resignation from the national council.
However, the pastor could not be drawn to share his reasons for resignation as he referred the questions to the AFM president.
“I did resign. All the AFM churches were informed across the country. But I remain a member of the church and pastor of Mogoditshane congregation,” he said.
President of the church’s national council, Pastor Jobe Repent Koosimile could not confirm Mogokgwane’s resignation.
However, he said that although the current developments relating to their pastor’s arrest had shocked the church, they remained intact while waiting for the truth. He said that this was more of a tragedy than a crisis.
Koosimile stated that Pastor Mogomotsi was just a suspect in the matter, hence the church cannot turn its back on him.
“We don’t know the truth yet. We will give him the spiritual support. We have procedure as to what should be done, but I can’t talk about it now since the incident is still fresh,” he said. He continued: “We should deal with it delicately because it is a very sensitive case.
The pastor just lost his wife in January. The families are still mourning and we have kids whose father is now in custody”.
Moreover, he said while the church wanted to let the authorities do their work with no impediment, it exercises its pastoral responsibility to Mogomotsi, the families, the Mochudi assembly and the AFM in Botswana.
Mogomotsi will be back in Court on April 13, 2017 where Mochudi magistrate, Keabetswe Majuta will deliver a ruling on his bail application.