Cape Town – Controversial pastor Timothy Omotoso and two others are expected back in court on Monday but it is unlikely that their sex trafficking trial will start due to the lockdown.
Proceedings in the Port Elizabeth High Court were postponed in April as the country was under level 5 lockdown restrictions. Omotoso, Lusanda Sulani, and Zukiswa Sitho all face a number of charges that include human trafficking, rape, and racketeering. The three have pleaded not guilty on all the charges against them.
The matter against the pastor and his co-accused has seen numerous delays due to appeals brought by the defence but the nationwide lockdown has thrown this trial into limbo.
Two women so far have taken to the stand to detail their alleged sexual abuse experience at the hands of Omotoso while they were members of his church, but the pastor has refuted their testimonies.
Omotoso’s co-accused Sulani and Sitho have been accused of recruiting girls and young women for sexual exploitation, a claim they have strongly denied.
