CAPE TOWN – The prosecution in the sex trafficking case of Nigerian televangelist Timothy Omotoso is again preparing witnesses before the trial resumes.
The pastor and two women – accused of recruiting girls and women for sexual exploitation – returned to the Port Elizabeth High Court on Tuesday, where the matter was postponed to 24 February.
They were arrested in 2017 and face a string of charges, including human trafficking and rape.
So far, Cheryl Zondi has been the state’s only witness on the stand.
She detailed the alleged sexual abuse she experienced at the hands of Omotoso while she was a member of his church.
But Zondi will have to testify from scratch before a new judge.
Judge Mandela Makaula recused himself last year after it emerged some state witnesses had been accommodated at a guesthouse in which his wife had a business interest.
Judge Irma Schoeman was then assigned to the case.
The trial hasn’t progressed much since then, with the defence bringing several applications and appeals that have all been dismissed by the High Court, Supreme Court of Appeal and Constitutional Court.