Televangelist Pastor Tim Omotoso Arrested on Immigration Charges

• Televangelist pastor Tim Omotoso was arrested on 10 May 2025 after the courts acquitted him of various charges
• He was on trial and faced rape, trafficking and sexual assault charges and was found not guilty
• South Africans had mixed feelings as some questioned why he was released, only to be arrested

With nine years of experience, Tebogo Mokwena, a current affairs writer for Briefly News, provided insights into the criminal justice system, crime statistics and high-profile cases in South Africa at Daily Sun.

JOHANNESBURG — Pastor Tim Omotoso was arrested on 10 May 2025, a month after he was found not guilty of rape by the Gqeberha High Court in the Eastern Cape on 2 April.

Timothy Omotoso arrested

South African Police Service (SAPS) National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola confirmed that Omotoso was arrested in East London, Eastern Cape. The Immigration Inspectorate of the Home Affairs department and SAPS arrested him on immigration charges. He will appear in court on 12 May.

Omotoso and his co-accused Lusanda Sulani and Zukiswa Sitho were found not guilty of rape after he was arrested eight years ago for contravening the Sexual Offences Act. He faced 63 different charges alongside his two co-accused.

Sitho and Sulani reportedly recruited girls from around the country to stay at the Jesus Dominion International (JDSI) mission houses, where Omotoso allegedly sexually assaulted some of them. The National Prosecuting Authority faced scrutiny after he was released and acquitted of his charges.

South Africans are not impressed

Netizens commenting on @eNCA's X tweet were not pleased, and some slammed the country's justice system.

In A Nutshell said:

"Only in South Africa do we clear your name, clap for you n court, and then pick you up like you stole bread from Shoprite. Acquitted yesterday, arrested today. Our justice system runs on vibes and plot twists."

Jumpman said:

"This is a Mr Bean show."

TakaSyo said:

"If it's the same charges he was acquitted of, it would be an abuse of power. We should always stand against injustice, regardless of who the victim is."

Bamuza123 said:

"This is starting to feel like an abuse of power now."

Edson Raunde asked:

"How was he even acquitted in the first place? If I were a judge, I probably would have been disbarred because I would have sentenced so many evangelist pastors to 10+ years of imprisonment for the slightest of accusations."

Eastern Cape women celebrate Omotoso's release

In a related article, Briefly News reported that South Africans had mixed feelings after a group of women from the Eastern Cape celebrated Omotoso's release from prison. Omotos became a free man after he was found not guilty of rape, trafficking and sexual assault.

Members of his church, Jesus Dominion International, celebrated his release in the streets of the Eastern Cape. Social media users shared videos of supporters chanting his name and holding up boards with his face on them. A gender-based violence activist, Onele Deleki, slammed the women and men celebrating his release.

"The justice system is so messed up, and we're so tired of the same thing over and over. Perpetrators are being favoured and victims are being left in the cold like they do not matter."

Source: Briefly News