Pastor Chops Thief’s Hands

Pastor Chops Thief’s Hands.

Man had his hands cut off with a panga by the pastor after being caught stealing from a church

A holy pastor turned vigilante who allegedly caught a thief stealing from his church took matters into his own hands by kidnapping the crook and mutilating him with a machete, a South African court heard.

Christian Solomon Mhalanga, 58, was enraged when his son Enoch, 20, caught self-confessed criminal Dumisani Mahalngu, 29, on the church grounds in Vosman at dawn.

He called his father, Apostle Solomon, who arrived in his van and tied up Mahalngu’s arms and legs before driving him into the remote bush outside the South African town.

The vigilante pastor, along with his son and four of his faithful flock, then allegedly held him down and placed his hands over a tree branch, where the crook was told he would be taught not to steal again.

Terrified Mahlangu told police in Emalahleni, Mpumulanga Province, that the machete swung down twice, severing both his hands and leaving him bleeding profusely as they fled the scene.

Following an intensive investigation by police, the alleged attackers were arrested on March 27, appearing in court on Thursday charged with attempted murder and kidnapping.