20/12/2025
FROM PULPIT TO DOCK:
How Power, Faith, and Family Collided in the Killing of Lesego Masina
Mabopane Daily News
The murder of Lesego Mary Masina was never about a man — despite persistent efforts to frame it that way. What unfolded in Mabopane is now emerging, through family testimony and court-linked information, as a devastating story of alleged family betrayal, abuse of spiritual authority, and a calculated attempt to rewrite the truth about a young woman’s death.
For months, Lesego’s name has been tied to a false narrative: a woman killed over a love triangle.
But according to information shared with Mabopane Daily News by a family member, that version of events was manufactured — and used to distract from a much darker reality.
The family sincerely apologizes to Mpho Matljila, ex girlfriend of Lesego's Boyfriend.
Because of the nature of the letter, She became the number one suspect.
The stepfather at the centre of the case has been identified as Archbishop Paulus Masina (57) — a serving SANDF member, founder and leader of St Paulos Apostolic Church in Boikhutsong, a prophet, and a spiritual initiator.
According to the family member:
Archbishop Masina was arrested on 15 September 2025,
He was arrested at his workplace,
He is facing charges of kidnapping, robbery, and murder,
He is currently before court and presumed innocent until proven guilty.
A gunman was arrested separately in Bela-Bela, while two more suspects remain at large.
The arrested gunman reportedly confessed to killing Lesego.
According to the information received:
Each suspect was allegedly paid R2,000,
The killing was planned, not spontaneous,
Two additional suspects are still being sought by police.
The next court appearance is scheduled for:
📍 20 January 2026
📍 Garankuwa Magistrate’s Court
One of the most troubling aspects of this case lies in the spiritual dynamics inside the Masina household.
A 39-year-old woman from Soshanguve (Jukulyn / White City) was reportedly undergoing spiritual training under Archbishop Masina.
She was allegedly living with the family as part of that initiation.
According to the family source:
The relationship later became romantic,
The archbishop allegedly intended to make her not only his wife but also a senior church leader (“Mma Moruti”),
In February, a fake letter was sent to Lesego, pretending to be from an “angry woman fighting for her man.”
That letter — accompanied by bullets — would later become the foundation of the “dying for a man” narrative.
In March, Archbishop Masina allegedly left the family home with the trainee, triggering divorce proceedings.
During this period, Lesego reportedly stood firmly with her mother, Adeline Salome Thage Mosina (50).
It is this loyalty, the family believes, that placed Lesego in danger.
What remains deeply disturbing to relatives is what happened next.
Despite having left months earlier, the stepfather allegedly returned to the family home in July, shortly before Lesego was killed.
On the night of the murder:
He was allegedly inside the house,
He was tied up with other family members in the sitting room,
Lesego was shot and killed in her bedroom.
Family members say these details continue to raise unanswered questions.
On 27 October 2025, Lesego’s mother, Adeline Mosina, reportedly died of a heart attack after learning that her husband had been arrested for allegedly orchestrating the murder of her daughter.
She was buried on 1 November.
Within months, the family lost both a daughter and a mother.
After Lesego’s death, the false picture hardened:
A woman killed because of a man.
According to the family, this narrative:
Smeared Lesego’s name,
Shifted public sympathy away from accountability,
Protected powerful figures behind uniforms and pulpits.
“She didn’t die for a man,” the family member told Mabopane Daily News.
“She died because she stood with her mother".
Meanwhile, according to the family source, St Paulos Apostolic Church has continued to support Archbishop Masina, further deepening pain and division.
The family has asked Mabopane Daily News to appeal to the community for support ahead of the next court date in January 2026.
They say their fight is not only for justice — but for truth, dignity, and the restoration of Lesego’s name.
✍️ Editorial Note
This story is not about scandal.
It is about what happens when power goes unquestioned, when faith is used as a shield, and when silence becomes complicity.
Lesego Mary Masina did not die for a man.
She died standing for her mother — and in the shadow of authority.
Mabopane Daily News will continue to follow this case.
