Witness repeatedly resisted Omotoso’s advances, court hears
A Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) woman told the Port Elizabeth High Court how she had repeatedly declined advances after rape and human trafficking accused Timothy Omotoso took an interest in her during a crusade in the city.
During her testimony yesterday, Wendy Mahole, 26, of Gqeberha, said she held her ground and repeatedly told the court what Omotoso and his co-accused, Zukiswa Sitho, and another woman only referred to as Fezeka, had allegedly done to coax her into performing sexual acts on Omotoso.
Painting a picture of how Omotoso and his alleged henchwomen operated, Mahole said while she was not physically sexually assaulted, the way in which Omotoso treated her made her feel too uncomfortable to be in the same room as him.
Mahole said during a church service at the Gqeberha branch of Omotoso’s Jesus Dominion International (JDI) church she was on her knees when Fezeka approached her from behind and gave her a piece of paper indicating that she must get hold of the pastor.
Mahole said that after the church service Fezeka called her from Omotoso’s phone and invited her to Summerstrand, where Omotoso was staying.
The next morning, she took up the invitation.
Mahole was allegedly taken to Omotoso’s room where he told her she had a beautiful body which would make men go crazy in bed.
Mahole alleged that Omotoso wanted to know from her what type of relationship she wanted with him and that she could massage him wherever she liked.
She, however, declined to do so.
It was after she told Omotoso that she expected a father/daughter relationship with him that things allegedly went sour.
Omotoso and his co-accused, Sitho, 29, and Lusanda Sulani, 37, face 63 main and 34 alternative charges ranging from rape to human trafficking, sexual assault and racketeering.
They have pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
The case continues.
The JSE gained the most in four months as global sentiment leapt once again on improved manufacturing data from a number of countries.
SA’s Absa purchasing managers index (PMI) rose to 53 points last month from 50.9 previously, boosted by an expansion in the production and new sales orders categories, data released yesterday showed.
“Vaccine optimism, a calmer tone in the bond markets and a return of the US Covid-19 stimulus bill to the spotlight are all helping to underpin the risk-on mood, in addition to upbeat manufacturing PMIs,” Oanda market analyst Sophie Griffiths said yesterday.
The JSE all share gained 2.12% to 67,536 points and the top 40 2.23%.