Bishop Israel Bishop Makamu released on R2,000 bail

Celebrity church leader Bishop Israel Makamu was on Wednesday released on R2,000 bail on Wednesday.

His appearance in the Palm Ridge magistrate's court comes after the Endless Hope Bible Church leader was arrested and charged with sexual assault.

Phindi Mjonondwane, spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority in Gauteng, said in a media statement that the complaint against the bishop was laid by a former employee of his church on May 19 at the Brackendowns police station in Ekurhuleni.

“The case relates to an incident that allegedly happened in his church office in Alrode in September 2018. The case was remanded to 13 July 2021 for further investigations,” said Mjonondwane.

Makamu, the host of the controversial TV show Rea Tsotella on Moja Love channel on DStv, stepped aside from the show pending an internal investigation into a recording in which he is heard allegedly asking for sex from a woman who was part of his congregation.

However, a Sunday newspaper reported that Makamu had alleged in another TV show, AmaBishop, that the recording had been tampered with to make him appear as if he was asking the woman for sex while he was only asking for key to his office.