Ugandan priest jailed for ‘rape’
By Alex B. Atuhaire
June 17, 2003 ; The MonitorA Ugandan priest working in South Africa was on Friday sentenced to 10 years in
prison for rape.
A court in the Rustenburg province convicted Fr. Joseph Mugera, 33, of the
Rustenburg Diocese in the northwest of South Africa.
He was reportedly found guilty of raping a South African woman, Ms Agnes Moteni.
Another Ugandan priest, Fr. Kizito Kaganda, also serving in South Africa, told The
Monitor yesterday that Fr. Mugera had appealed against the sentence.
Fr. Kaganda dismissed the rape accusations against his colleague as “xenophobia”
aimed at discrediting the young priest before his bishop and the laity.
“He has been a threat to most of his colleagues because of his stand on celibacy.
They envied him. He was the most loved priest in Rustenburg,” Fr. Kaganda said by
telephone from South Africa.
Fr. Kaganda said that Fr. Mugera was another victim of xenophobia – being targeted
like many of the other foreigners (the so-called makwelekwele) living and working in
South Africa.
He said that there is a campaign by local priests to target colleagues from other
African countries including those from Nigeria, Ghana and Uganda.
He blamed the unholy campaign on rivalry for positions and promotions.
“This was not a shock. Something like this was expected anytime,” he said.
Fr. Kaganda said that there are about 20 Ugandan missionaries working in South
Africa.
Fr. Mugera was born in Lwagulu village in Masaka district.
He left Uganda for South Africa in 1993 as a missionary and enrolled at St Joseph’s
Kidala Major Seminary in Natal Province.
He was ordained in October 2000 and posted to Rustenburg Diocese where he was
appointed the parish priest early this year.
© 2003 The Monitor Publications
Mitayo Potosi
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