Rapist money preacher who called himself ‘judge’ sentenced to life

A “mighty judge” who claimed he would “save” his followers but was actually a rapist money preacher has come tumbling down in the Polokwane High Court after being found guilty of several charges including rape and common assault. 

Fifty-eight year old pastor James Devine Thubakgale has been sentenced to life in prison this week after being found guilty of rape, common assault and of calling someone a “witch”.

Limpopo National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Mashudu Malabi Dzhangi said Thubakgale, who was the pastor of Devine Deliverance Church in Seshego, had presented himself to his congregants as a powerful man of God, who was able to heal the sick and cast away the devil. 

“He claimed he had been sent to this world to save them.  He demanded to be called a judge as he was going to be a judge with God on judgment day,” Malabi said.

“He instructed congregants to bring all their money and even their retirements savings to church.”

Malabi said his congregants had “respected and obeyed his orders as they believed that he was part of the holy trinity and was closest to God”. “Whatever he wanted they would do for him,” Malabi said.

Thubakgale’s modus operandi was to target young girls who were under 16 years of age and promised them marriage. 

“He told them it was God himself who wanted them to marry him. He raped the girls in his motor vehicles, at a lodge and also in their rooms,” Malabi said. He added that the rapist money preacher had been paying his victims’ rent.

“He induced fear to his victims and told them that if they refused to marry him or sleep with him, God would punish them for disobedience and there would be death and sickness in their families. The victims obeyed his rules and when they defied him he would scold them and call them witches that were possessed by evil spirits,” Malabi said.

Thubakgale assaulted his victims in full view of other fellow congregants.  The crimes occurred between 2010 and 2017.

Thubakgale is already serving jail time 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.

Advocate Eric Mabapa asked the court to remove the pastor permanently from the community as he had abused his position of assisting people.

The court sentenced the rapist money preacher to life imprisonment plus 10 years  imprisonment on two counts of rape, common assault and four months for calling a person a witch.