Fr Kgomotso Sebopela MCCJ Beaten and Robbed

by Admin · July 19, 2023

On June 12, Comboni Father Kgomotso Sebopela survived a harrowing ordeal at the hands of hijackers

After shopping on June 12 at Ennerdale, South of Johannesburg around 5pm, Fr Kgomotso Sebopela MCCJ whilst driving, felt that one of his tyres was flat. He stopped by the roadside and got out to check and he found that it was the rear left tyre. As he went to get back in his car to go to the nearby garage, someone confronted him with a knife and forced him to drive. The hijacker threatened Fr Kgomotso with a knife, directing him to drive about 10kms from the place of hijack to Lawley township. The perpetrator forced him into a house where three armed men beat him until he lost consciousness.

An hour later Fr Kgomotso regained consciousness but found that his arms and legs were tied up. The torture continued for two more hours, demanding money and car keys. After which a Quantum bakkie arrived, and Fr Kgomotso was taken and dumped on the outskirts of the township with the intention of killing him. Luckily, however, he was just dumped and later untied himself and managed to walk looking for help. Three police cars passed him without stopping. A taxi driver spotted him and took him to a safer road. There Fr Kgomotso was helped by a person that took him to Ennerdale Police Station.

After opening a case at the police station, Father Kgomotso was taken to hospital by his confreres and a Sister attended to his wounds. The following day, a hijacked car was found abandoned near where Fr Kgomotso was tortured. The matter was left in the hands of police, but nothing has been reported.

Fr Kgomotso is no stranger to crime attacks. In May 2004 while at the priest’s house of Christ the King in Mabopane, heavily armed perpetrators broke into the house in the middle of the night while he was sleeping. He went into hiding through the trap door into the roof of the house. The thieves stole household items like the TV and VHS machine.

And in October 2017, while attending a social event at Mahube Valley in Pretoria, around 8pm, robbers confronted Fr Kgomotso and his confreres. Fortunately, Fr Kgomotso managed to escape to a safer room. The robbers stole the cars and laptops of the priests. During this incident, parishioner, Mr Lucas Khwareli was badly injured and passed away from his injuries few weeks after.

What saddens Fr Kgomotso most is that, in all these cases, no one has ever been arrested. He encourages people to have forums in their communities and think seriously about the future of this country before they vote in the next coming elections of 2024.

Fr Kgomotso’s experiences are shared with you by Berni Crew-Brown, a Laudato Si associate of Fr Kgomotso.