One of the three state prosecutors involved in the rape and human trafficking case against Nigerian televangelist Timothy Omotoso has died.

National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Anelisa Ngcakani confirmed senior state advocate Zukile Mdolomba died on Saturday morning.

Mdolomba had been assisting advocates Nceba Ntelwa and Vatiswa Jodwana-Blayi since the case restarted in the Port Elizabeth high court last month.

Ngcakani said Mdolomba played a pivotal role in the successful opposition of Omotoso's recent application for bail.

Omotoso lost his application when the Port Elizabeth high court ruled there were no new facts presented.

Immediately after losing his bid for bail, Omotoso brought an application for leave to appeal the decision, which was dismissed.

In his judgment, judge Phillip Zilwa said no other court would have come to a different conclusion.

“The two remaining prosecutors [Ntelwa and Jodwana-Blayi] are equally capable of successfully prosecuting the case,” Ngcakani said.

On Tuesday, judgment was expected to be delivered in the application by Omotoso, 62, and his two co-accused Lusanda Sulani, 37, and Zukiswa Sitho, 29, to have the testimony of two state witnesses struck from the court records.

In their application the trio claimed the evidence of Lerato Msibi, 30, and Andisiwe Dike, 30, was tantamount to additional charges and should not be admissible.

The outcome of the application is expected to be heard on Monday after one of the state prosecutors tested positive for Covid-19.

Omotoso, Sulani and Sitho face 63 main and 34 alternative charges ranging from rape to human trafficking, sexual assault and racketeering.  

Omotoso has been in custody since his April 2017 arrest while Sulani and Sitho are out on R2,000 bail each.

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