Gqeberha High Court Denies National Prosecuting Authority Leave to Appeal Timothy Omotoso Acquittal
- The Gqeberha High Court has made a ruling in connection with the case of Nigerian televangelist, Timothy Omotoso
- Omotoso and his co-accused, Lusanda Sulani and Zikiswa Sitho, were found not guilty in April 2025 of the 32 charges they faced
- The prosecutors in the matter were criticised for failing to secure a conviction, with the judge saying that they had mishandled the case
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Briefly News journalist Byron Pillay has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent 10 years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.
EASTERN CAPE – The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has been denied leave to appeal Timothy Omotoso’s acquittal by the Gqeberha High Court.
The Nigerian televangelist was found not guilty in April 2025, after spending eight years in jail. Omotoso faced 32 different charges, including sexual abuse and human-trafficking. His co-accused, Lusanda Sulani and Zikiswa Sitho, were also found not guilty of the charges.
The NPA earned significant criticism for its failure to prosecute, but said at the time that it was considering its legal options. That option was to appeal the court's ruling.
Gqeberha High Court denies NPA leave to appeal
On 12 December 2025, the Gqeberha High Court denied the NPA leave to appeal Omotoso’s acquittal. The court found that the state failed to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt.
The prosecutors in the case were originally criticised for failing to prove their case, with the judge saying that prosecutors had mishandled the case and acted improperly. They were also accused of not sufficiently cross-examining the witnesses, which led to the State having a weak case.
Omotoso left the country in May 2025, shortly after his acquittal. He was declared a prohibited person by South Africa's Department of Home Affairs, which barred him from returning for five years.
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Why did the NPA come under fire for Omotoso's acquittal?
Following the not-guilty verdict, the National Prosecuting Authority and the prosecutor have come under fire.
Advocate Nceba Ntelwa has been accused of incompetence and deceit during the trial of the Nigerian televangelist.
A decision was originally taken to have Ntelwa removed from the case, but one of the complainants approached the National Director of Public Prosecutions, Advocate Shamila Batohi, to ask that he be kept on the case.
Judge Schoeman also found that Ntelwa created a WhatsApp group for all complainants, even though witnesses are not allowed to talk to each other. When questioned about it, he claimed that he did it for logistical reasons. Before a proper investigation could be done into his conduct, he deleted the group and all the messages.
Bushiri urges Omotoso to leave South Africa
Briefly News reported that Shepherd Bushiri advised Nigerian televangelist Timothy Omotoso to leave South Africa as soon as he could.
Omotoso was found not guilty of rape and human trafficking in the Gqeberha High Court on 2 April 2025 after eight years.
Bushiri, who also faces charges in South Africa, is currently in Malawi and is fighting his extradition back to the country.
Source: Briefly News
