Lawyer must be allowed to do his job

EMOTIONS have continued to rise in the rape trial of controversial Pastor Timothy Omotoso, with his lawyer being harassed by a group of angry protesters outside court this week.

Omotoso, 60, a pastor of the Jesus Dominion International Church, faces 63 main charges and 34 alternative counts, including human trafficking, rape, sexual harassment, racketeering and conspiracy in aiding another persons to commit sexual assault.

This week witness Cheryl Zondi, 22, who alleges Omotoso raped her, was put under cross-examination by the accused’s lawyer, Peter Daubermann.

Some of the questions Daubermann asked Zondi angered the crowd outside the Port Elizabeth High Court and millions of South Africans on social media, who described it as unethical and immoral. However, this does not make it right for the protesters to harass the lawyer and follow him to his car after the trial.

The allegations made against Omotoso are serious, and we want to see him paying dearly for his crimes should he be found guilty.

Preying on innocent girls who went to his church for spiritual upliftment should be condemned in the strongest possible terms.

We want the court to pay attention to the task at hand without having to contend with unnecessary distractions and drama taking place outside it.

If the court protesters, led by the #TotalShutDown movement, are serious about seeking justice for Zondi and many other victims of Omotoso’s, they need to let the law take its course.

This means allowing Omotoso’s lawyer to ask any questions he wants to pose to the State witnesses without any fear of being mobbed by angry protesters. The support given to the victims should not hinder the court from fulfilling its mandate to deliver justice.