Rape case against Bishop Stephen Zondo postponed to 2025
The archbishop of the Rivers of Living Water Church is facing several counts of rape and sexual assault with one of the alleged ordeals dating back to the 1980s.
Picture: Pixabay
JOHANNESBURG - The alleged victims of prominent Bishop Stephen Zondo will have to wait another half a year for his rape trial to continue in the Pretoria High Court.
Zondo made an appearance on Friday in a bid to challenge the testimony of expert clinical psychologist Gerard Labuschagne.
Labuschagne gave evidence on reasons why victims sometimes delay in reporting the crime, testimony that has now been ruled to be admissible.
The archbishop of the Rivers of Living Water Church is facing several counts of rape and sexual assault with one of the alleged ordeals dating back to the 1980s.
Now that the evidence by Labuschagne has been declared admissible, the State must close its case and it will be the defence's turn to make its version known.
But the prosecution said it only had one more aspect to explore and it has been agreed with the defence that this will only happen in March next year.
Judge Joseph Mosopa informed Zondo of this agreement.
"The State and your council has agreed on a date for your continuation of trial and it will be on 3 March to 20 March 2025. You are warned... 10 o'clock on the third of March you must be here. If you are not here, I am going to issue a warrant for your arrest."
But that does not mean the bishop will not enter a courtroom until then.
His second rape case, where he faces five more counts, is due back in the Sebokeng Regional Court in October.