'He sexually violated my wife several times': former pastor at Zondo trial

A former pastor at a branch of Rivers of Living Waters Ministries told the court how his wife was allegedly sexually assaulted and raped several times by leader Bishop Stephen Zondo.

Zondo’s rape trial resumed at the Pretoria high court on Tuesday where the witness, the husband of a woman who worked as a chef for Zondo and the church, gave testimony.

The witness said he joined the church in 2015, became a pastor and led the Soweto branch the following year, where he met his wife. 

He told the court that she said he had been sexually assaulted by Zondo on three occasions.

The first incident allegedly happened in 2013 when she was working at Zondo's house.

“The accused’s wife was not there. [My wife] was done cooking and was preparing to go home and the accused asked her for a hug. During the hug, he apparently kissed her and she said she froze. The accused saw she was frozen and let go of her. He told her she can leave,” he said.

The couple married in November 2016 and he said his wife often seemed unhappy.

“I noticed she became bitter and became some other way, which I could not understand. I thought maybe I was the problem or maybe she got married when she was not ready.”

But he found out that his wife had allegedly been sexually assaulted on two other occasions.

In another incident, his wife was allegedly called to Zondo's office at the main branch in Evaton. She went to the church and found herself alone with Zondo, the court heard.

“He took out oil and prayed for her. She said she went blank. When she regained consciousness, she found that her underwear was off and her skirt was not in the position that it was... Her skirt had turned to the side. She said that the accused told her that everything is OK,” he said.

The third incident was an alleged rape which apparently happened in 2015 in Zondo's office. This after the woman went to the church for a prayer after she “manifested demons”, he said.

During the sermon, the demons apparently continued to manifest and Zondo instructed the cook to be taken aside so he could pray for her in his office.

“She said once she heard those words, she remembered what had previously happened in his office. She ran away and was chased by [two church members] who took her to the office. She said to me that she was sitting on the sofa in the office and the accused was on the phone.

“The accused then applied oil on her thighs and then she said to me that the accused took out his private part and told her to suck it. He then told her to turn around. She said to me he penetrated her from behind.”

Asked whether he took action against Zondo on behalf of his wife, the pastor said he was confused about what to do as he saw Zondo as a father figure.

“I lost my father when I was a small child and the way Zondo accepted me, I saw him as a father. Not just a spiritual father but as if he was someone God went to me to fill the gap of my late father,” he said.

But shortly after meeting his wife, the witness said Zondo removed him as the pastor of the Soweto branch.

“The accused called me in 2016 and he said he would like to keep me but God said he must release me,” he said.

Zondo faces 10 counts after he allegedly raped seven women, most of whom were members of his church.

The trial was adjourned after the interpreter fell ill during proceedings and will resume on Wednesday.

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