S/AFRICAN PROSECUTORS MOVE TO OVERTURN RAPE ACQUITTAL OF NIGERIAN PASTOR OMOTOSO

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South African prosecutors announced on Tuesday their decision to appeal the recent acquittal of Nigerian pastor Timothy Omotoso on rape charges—a verdict that has sparked widespread outrage across the country in recent months.

Omotoso, a Nigerian televangelist, faces accusations of sexual assault from about 20 women, some of whom alleged rape. The case has drawn national attention, with President Cyril Ramaphosa previously decrying what he described as a “pandemic of gender-based violence” in the country.

Omotoso was arrested on Saturday in an unrelated breach of immigration law and was prosecuted for offences including human trafficking.

“The NPA (National Prosecuting Authority) takes the view that there are reasonable prospects of a successful appeal despite the complexities of the legal process,” the government office said in a statement.

Omotoso’s acquittal drew anger across South Africa after the judge found that, while the pastor’s explanations appeared improbable, state prosecutors had mishandled the case against him.

Dozens of women protested outside the tribunal in Gqeberha, formerly known as Port Elizabeth, as the verdict was read out.

The prosecutor’s office on Tuesday said it was “proceeding with the internal investigation into the conduct of the first team of prosecutors involved in this matter”, with a report due in June.

“The scope of the investigation has been extended to include both prosecution teams, with a view to identify, if necessary, disciplinary steps to be taken against persons involved,” the statement added.

The 66-year-old pastor was arrested in 2017 on 32 charges following a manhunt, with several young women testifying that they were handpicked by Omotoso before he assaulted them.

They said the pastor would then pray for forgiveness after each encounter with the women, some of whom were still in school at the time.

Omotoso heads the Jesus Dominion International (JDI) church, headquartered at the eastern South African coastal city of Durban.

The JDI likewise has branches in Nigeria and in Israel, according to the South African government.

More than 42,000 rapes were reported to South Africa’s police in the 2023-24 financial year.