National Prosecuting Authority to appeal Timothy Omotoso's acquittal, South Africans unimpressed

• The National Prosecuting Authority announced that it intends to appeal the acquittal of televangelist Timothy Omotoso
• Omotoso was found not guilty of rape after he had a trial that lasted for more than several years
• South Africans were not pleased, and many slammed the NPA for appealing the acquittal after Omotoso left the country

With 10 years’ 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.

PRETORIA — South Africans were displeased by the National Prosecuting Authority's announcement that the State will appeal the acquittal of pastor timothy Omotoso, who was found not guilty of rape in April 2025.

What did the NPA say?

The NPA posted a statement on its @NPA_Proscutes X account on 13 July, two months after Omotoso and his co-accused were acquitted by the Gqeberha High Court on 2 April. The NPA said that the Gqeberha High Court will hear the first part of the appeal process.

The state sent a request for clarification of some facts in Judge Irma Schoeman's findings, which led to the acquittal of Omotos's charges. Omotoso's attorneys opposed the state's appeal process. Schoeman will hear the State's and the defense's arguments on the matter on 14 July.

Read the X statement here:

What happened with the Omotoso case?

Omotoso, who was arrested and incarcerated for eight years, was found not guilty of rape and human trafficking, and the NPA faced scrutiny. This was after the 66-year-old, alongside his two co-accused, Lusanda Sulani and Zukiswa Sitho, faced 63 different charges of rape and human trafficking. They were arrested in 2017.

Sitho and Sulani were accused of recruiting the Jesus Dominion International Church to stay at the church's houses, where some of the women were allegedly sexually assaulted.

Omotoso was later arrested for contravening the Immigration Act. The Department of Home Affairs declared him a non-legal resident of the country.

He was deported back to Nigeria after he received a five-year ban and was prevented from being in the country during that period.

What did South Africans say?

Netizens commenting on X were furious.

Gwanta said:

"This is a travesty of justice. How long must victims wait while the system bends over backward for the accused?"

MK Party Stan asked:

"After you let him leave the country?"

Nick Nthala said:

"You want to waste money on extradition. You failed to prosecute him while he was still in the country."

Tomato Sauce ZA said:

"Stop wasting our money. You failed. Your backdoor prosecutors failed us."

Ianosworldwide said:

"You let criminals escape and then pretend to prosecute, knowing that an extradition won't work."

Tim Omotoso welcomed back to Nigeria

In a recent article, Briefly News reported that Omotoso was given a warm welcome after he landed in Nigeria in May. Omotoso was deported from South Africa after an eight-year trial.

In a video posted on TikTok, members of his congregation cheer him on as he walks through the church. He then walks towards the podium and sits in a chair while saluting church members.

Source: Briefly News