Timothy Omotoso: Human trafficking trial against televangelist continues

In January 2020, the prosecution in the case told the presiding judge Irma Schoeman they were ready to continue the matter in the high court after the Constitutional Court dismissed an application by Omotoso for leave to appeal the matter.

The 60-year-old pastor and his female co-accused — Lusanda Sulani and Zukiswa Sitho — face almost a hundred charges, ranging from rape, sexual assault, human trafficking and racketeering.

Both Sukani and Sitho are alleged to have recruited young women and girls, some as young as 12, who would then be used as sex slaves by Omotoso. 

Application to broadcast trial dismissed

Judger Schoeman dismissed the media’s application to have the trial aired. Schoeman said both the state and defence agree it would not be in the best interest of the victims to broadcast the trial events and witness testimony.

The accused had approached the country’s highest court after the Supreme Court of Appeal denied their request for leave to appeal a ruling by Schoeman, dismissing their application for the exclusion of international charges against them.

Omotoso’s lawyer, Peter Daubermann, had argued that the court did not have the authority to hear the entire matter as some of the alleged offences took place outside Port Elizabeth, including abroad.

“The application for leave to appeal is dismissed on the grounds that there are no reasonable prospects of success and there are no other compelling reasons why an appeal should be heard,” the SCA judgment read.

Cheryl Zondi: Star witness in trial

The 24-year-old University of Johannesburg student Cheryl Zondi stepped into the spotlight when she took the stand at the beginning of the trial in 2018.

Zondi testified that Omotoso repeatedly raped and sexually abused her and also forced her to perform sexual acts on him since she was just 14 years old. She also claimed she was threatened with death if she left his church, Jesus Dominion International.

“As you all know, I spoke out about the sexual abuse and psychological oppression I suffered at the hands of someone who was supposed to be a man of God. To an extent, this kind of abuse is unheard of, or perhaps even ignored because people do not want to believe that their spiritual leaders are capable of such atrocities,” she said.

* This is a developing story.