Bishop Roxley Masevhe's bail bid delayed

The bail application of Bishop Roxley Masevhe, who was arrested last week on charges of statutory rape and assault, has hit another snag. Masevhe’s legal representative asked for an early release, but the state prosecutor indicated to the court that they were not ready to continue with the application.

Masevhe handed himself over to the police on 8 January after the charges were filed against him by a 17-year-old girl. He made his first appearance in the Thohoyandou Magistrate’s Court that same day and his case was postponed to Tuesday, 16 January, for further investigation. However, the bishop’s lawyer made a requisition to the court to apply for bail on his client’s behalf on Friday, 12 January.

During the brief appearance on Friday, the lawyer argued that his client should be released on bail as he was fully booked for activities over the weekend. This was opposed by state prosecutor Ms Mashudu Nekhumbe, who pointed out that they were not ready as they were still waiting for the director of public prosecutions (DPP) to determine whether the different counts the bishop is facing could be centralised or heard within the jurisdiction where the incidents allegedly happened.

The renowned gospel singer and founder of the Fire Temple Ministries in Itsani looked stone-faced as the court ruled in the State’s favour, and the magistrate postponed the matter to Friday, 19 January, to give the DPP more time. Before Masevhe was led down the steps to the holding cells, he requested to be taken to the Thohoyandou Correctional Centre, raising concerns about his safety at the Thohoyandou Police Station’s holding cells. The court ordered that he be housed at the Thohoyandou Correctional Centre.

The postponement did not only come as a blow to Masevhe but also to a horde of his supporters and family who had filled the court. One of the people who attended the bail hearing and supported the Masevhe family is the well-known local gender activist, Pastor Piet Nemudzivhadi. He is also a member of the Vhembe Combined Group that fights crime and supports victims of crime and he is a member of the Vhembe Pastors Forum.

Nemudzivhadi said he was not apologetic or shaken by the condemnation he was getting from other activists for showing his support for Bishop Masevhe. “Masevhe is a bishop, and I am a pastor. What is wrong with a man of God supporting another man of God? I am not saying that Bishop Masevhe is innocent, but I would like to see justice served. Many innocent people are languishing in jail because of fake charges, and I am one of those who suffered the same fate when I was accused of false rape. Even in biblical times, men of God were persecuted and had false charges laid against them. We should not prejudge but give the law time and space to take its course,” he said.

He further indicated that he had approached the Vhembe Pastors Forum to dedicate prayers for Bishop Masevhe. “This is not the time to point fingers, but to pray for each other. There are many storms coming, and we must be ready,” Nemudzivhadi said.

Mr Richard Famabulana of the Vhembe Concerned Group said they were not a party to Nemudzivhadi’s support of the disgraced bishop. “We support victims and not suspects. We are not prejudging Bishop Masevhe, but the law must take its course and justice be served,” he said.

Ms Thelma Marole of the Vhembe Combined Group, who also attended the court hearing, welcomed the postponement. “We are here to support the victim’s family and to ensure that justice is served in the case. We are not saying the bishop is right or wrong, but if he is innocent, the court will vindicate him. However, if he is wrong, he must face the full might of the law. The postponement serves us well, as it shows that no one is above the law,” she said.

Date:19 January 2024

By: Elmon Tshikhudo

Elmon Tshikhudo started off as a photographer. He developed an interest in writing and started submitting articles to local as well as national publications. He became part of the Limpopo Mirror family in 2005 and was a permanent part of the news team until 2019.

Read: 3354