The Sebokeng regional court yesterday heard how the leader of Rivers of Living Waters Ministries bishop Stephen Zondo allegedly repeatedly raped a woman on separate occasions between 2013 and 2018.

Zondo is facing five counts of rape and three of sexual assault, which happened in Evaton, Vereeniging and Robertsham. The details emerged yesterday as Zondo appeared  in the court to face his second rape case after he was previously charged with rape in the Pretoria high court where he is facing 10 counts from seven women who were members of his church. 

Zondo, who is out on warning, is accused of raping a 33-year-old female four times and sexually assaulting her twice. One count of sexual assault and one count of rape were also brought by a 35-year-old female. Both victims were members of the church at the time.

The charges read out by prosecutor Sammy Setlelele allege that Zondo contravened the Sexual Offences Act by unlawfully and intentionally raping the complainants. In one of the charges, the 33-year-old woman alleges that in November 2013, Zondo raped her at his home in Vereeniging.

Other incidents happened in church in Evaton and his offices in Robertsham, Johannesburg.

The second complainant alleges Zondo sexually assaulted her and raped her in August 2015 at the church in Evaton.

Zondo pleaded not guilty to all charges and did not enter a plea explanation.

Said Setlelele: "...on/about early 2013 at/near Evaton, the said accused [Zondo] did unlawfully and intentionally [sexually assault victim] by putting his [private parts] between her thighs without her consent... 

"...On/about October 2013 near Evaton, the accused did unlawfully and intentionally sexually violate the victim by touching his [private parts] and making the victim to play with his [private parts] without the consent of the victim.

"The third count - rape...on/about 16th day on November 2013 at/near Vereeniging...the accused did unlawfully and unintentionally perform an act of sexual penetration on the victim by penetrating her without consent..."

Setlelele gave details of other incidents of rape against the first victim.

These happened at or near Evaton in January 2014, November 2017 and the fourth incident happened in Robertsham in December 2018.

The state is alleging that the second victim was sexually assaulted in Evaton on August 18 2015.

Its case is that on the same day, he raped the victim.

Zondo’s lawyer Jeffrey Rahlagane said they were not ready to make a plea explanation as they wanted to have the rape charges his client is facing at the Pretoria high court concluded.

“We wrote a letter to the DPP (director of public prosecutions) to say there’s a case again in the Sebokeng regional court, and as the DPP gave instructions to the SP (state prosecutor) in Sebokeng, can you talk to them to pend it [the case] or suspend it so that we can finalise the matter in the high court, Pretoria, because the same legal team in Pretoria are the ones who are going to be here for this matter. But the DPP did not respond to that matter,” he said.

Setlelele did not object to the comments by the defence.

“The matter was set down for today, strictly for the purposes of putting of charges and also for the plea explanation. We were on agreement with the defence that today we are not going to lead evidence, we are only going to lead evidence on the next occasion as agreed with the defence,” said Setlelele

The court first heard an application from the media to broadcast the proceedings.

Although the complainants, through Setlelele, did not oppose the publication and broadcast of their names and faces, magistrate Arends Von Wielligh ruled that the media may not publish the identities of the complainants until such time as a formal declaration by the victims not opposing the publication of their names was brought before court.

The matter was postponed to July 22 for trial and evidence from the complainants.

In total, Zondo is facing 18 charges of rape and sexual assault.

After a visit by former ANC president Jacob Zuma at his church in February, Zondo appeared as candidate number 17 on the leaked MKP candidate list for Gauteng.

Constitutional law expert Llewellyn Curlewis said if convicted and sent to jail, Zondo won’t be eligible to stand for parliament or the legislature.

“From a theoretical level, currently, there is no legislation that prohibits any person, to the best of my knowledge, from going to parliament or the legislature if you are voted into that position. The best we can hope for is two things: one, if there are allegations and they are proven then he will go to jail for the rest of his life because we are talking about multiple charges of rape and sexual offences and then he will never have an opportunity to stand in that capacity."

Another constitutional law expert, professor Koos Malan from the University of Pretoria, said there were no impediments for Zondo to pursue politics and that he is supported by section 19 of the constitution.   

He said it would only apply in circumstances when a person has been found guilty and a sentence is imposed.