Bishop Zondo's case postponed to next year to give chief translator time to listen recordings

The trial of Bishop Stephen Zondo has been postponed to next year to give the chief translator more time to listen to the translation after the defence complained about its quality.

Zondo appeared briefly in the Pretoria high court on Tuesday where a report by the chief translator was expected to be heard.

Speaking to Sowetan outside court, Zondo’s lawyer Jeffrey Rahlagane said the report was not ready on the day.

“We are waiting for the chief translator to give us the translation of the record of the last witness Katlego Gwedi. We have complained about the interpretation of some of the words. My client is Sotho, I am Pedi, I can follow that this is not what the witness is saying. The interpreter was putting words that were not said by the witness,” Rahlagane said.

Rahlagane said the defence has also received CDs of all the witnesses that have testified during trial and is listening to the interpretation. He said the court will have to decide on what should happen should it be clear that the interpretation is compromising the defence.

“The witness said we met at a Vereeniging police station, he omitted police station and said we met in Vereeniging. We want to show that there is a conspiracy against the bishop. The problem is that the court’s language is the interpreter’s language. Hence we say let us listen to the disc and let the chief translator give a report…,” Rahlagane said.

The chief translator is expected to send the report to the parties by December 23 and the case will then resume next month.

Zondo, founder of the Rivers of Living Waters Ministries in Evaton in the Vaal, is facing nine counts of rape, which include women who were members of his church and a relative. He is also facing charges of defeating the ends of justice for allegedly offering R25,000 to one of the victims for her to drop the charges.

Zondo has pleaded not guilty to all the charges he is facing.

dlaminip@sowetan.co.za