Not In My Name describes Timothy Omotoso's acquittal as a 'miscarriage of justice'
Omotoso was acquitted on all 32 charges of rape and human trafficking in a shock verdict handed down at the Gqeberha high court on Wednesday.
Rape-accused Nigerian televangelist Timothy Omotoso and his two co-accused have been acquitted on all charges, including rape, racketeering, human trafficking, and assault. Picture: Sipha Kema
JOHANNESBURG - Civil rights movement, Not In My Name, has described the acquittal of Nigerian televangelist Timothy Omotoso as a miscarriage of justice.
Omotoso was acquitted on all 32 charges of rape and human trafficking in a shock verdict handed down at the Gqeberha High Court on Wednesday.
He was arrested in 2017 on multiple charges, including sexual assault, human trafficking, and racketeering.
Omotoso’s co-accused, Lusanda Solani and Zukiswa Sitho, both senior members of his church, were also acquitted.
Advocates of social justice movement, Not In My Name, said the judgment in the Omotosho trial was a letdown, especially in a country where gender-based violence remains a pervasive crisis.
The organisation’s secretary-general, Themba Masango, said that he was worried that a high-profile verdict perceived as unjust could discourage survivors from coming forward in similar cases.
Masango added that the judgment undermined trust in the legal system.
He said the failure of this case rested at the doorstep of the prosecution team, who the organisation believes failed to bring their "A" game to court.
The South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU) also said it was outraged by a verdict it said was an indictment of a criminal justice system that continued to fail women and children.