- Bishop Stephen Zondo is on trial, facing several charges of rape.
- A second witness has been given the go-ahead to give evidence in camera.
- The first witness to testify privately told the court Zondo allegedly raped her at a hotel in 2008.
Another witness in the Bishop Stephen Zondo rape trial has been allowed to testify in camera to protect her privacy.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) had previously brought an application to have the victim's evidence heard in camera in the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria.
On Monday, Judge Mokhine Mosopa granted the application, finding the victim should be allowed to testify in private because of the embarrassing and graphic detail of her testimony, as pointed out by the State in its application.
Mosopa said the witness wanted her privacy protected and if the court did not allow it, she might change her mind about giving evidence.
How safe is your neighbourhood? Find out by using News24's CrimeCheck
The judge also pointed out the same witness had also testified to the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities (CRL) behind closed doors.
It is understood the defence did not oppose the application.
The granting of the application effectively means the witness will be giving her evidence in private, with only the judge, defence team, prosecution, accused and court officials in attendance.
The previous witness was also allowed to testify in camera, but the NPA gave a summarised version of the evidence.
News24 previously reported the victim said she was allegedly raped by Zondo in a Formula 1 Hotel in Gauteng in 2008.
She also claimed Zondo had said one of her family members would die if she said anything - and he had offered her R75 000 for her silence.
During cross-examination, Zondo's advocate, Piet Pistorius, put it to the victim Zondo was not at the hotel on the day of the incident but a well-known gospel singer was.
The woman denied this, telling the court she only met the gospel singer in 2010, whereas the incident happened in 2008.
The woman also testified she was a gospel artist herself.
In her evidence-in-chief, she told the court not only had she opened a criminal case against Zondo, but also spoke of her ordeal on a radio show and gave evidence at the CRL.
Pistorius put it to her there was an agreement between her and the radio presenter that if she made revelations about Zondo, they would promote her CD.
"She responded and said, no, they did not have that agreement. She did the interview to talk about the incident. But when the presenter learned she was a gospel artist, they played her song during the interview," NPA spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana said.
Indictment
The controversial Rivers of Living Waters Ministries bishop faces a string of rape, indecent assault and defeating the ends of justice charges.
It is alleged the incidents he is accused of started in the 1980s and continued until 2018.
According to the indictment, the first count of rape dates back to 1980, when Zondo allegedly raped a minor girl in Sebokeng. It is also alleged he forced the minor to play with his penis on numerous occasions the same year.
In 2008, he allegedly raped a woman in a hotel in Johannesburg.
In 2013 and 2015, he allegedly raped two more women in Evaton. It is alleged one of the women was raped on two different occasions.
In December 2015, he allegedly raped another woman in or near his church in Evaton.
He is accused of a sixth rape in 2016 and of committing a seventh two years later.
Zondo has pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
The trial continues.