Pretoria - Rivers of Living Waters Church leader Bishop Bafana Stephen Zondo will testify that now former members of his church who claimed that he either raped or sexually abused them, were on a quest to lure other members away to start their own church.
Yesterday, the husband of a woman who claimed that Zondo had put his private part in her mouth during a prayer session, was cross-examined for the third day in the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, by Zondo’s advocate.
Advocate Piet Pistorius said Zondo would testify that the woman and her husband were part of a group who colluded behind Zondo’s back to lure parish members to a new church headed by a pastor named Phoswa.
Pistorius said the new church was due to start in February 2019. The alleged victim said that Zondo had put his private parts in her mouth in December 2018.
Pistorius told the husband that Zondo would testify that he was “really saddened that two of his beloved church members were conniving behind his back to lure church members away”.
He said when the couple had met Zondo after the alleged incident, Zondo hoped that they would “come clean” and tell him “what they are busy with”.
“He was deeply saddened and emotional when you did not come clean. He confronted you about your lack of loyalty,” Pistorius said.
In denying this, the husband said he and his wife were happy with their lives. He questioned why they would want to destroy Zondo.
“It is simple. It is for position and money in a rival church,” Pistorius said.
He also asked the husband whether he knew that his wife, after she claimed she was sexually violated by Zondo, had sent the bishop a host of “intimate” text messages. The husband denied any knowledge of the text messages.
The husband also claimed that Zondo had told him that he (Zondo) was not “sexually satisfied at home”.
According to the husband, Zondo had said that he could only find sexual pleasure outside the home.
Pistorius said that Zondo would vehemently deny this.
“He would never discuss such intimate details with members of his congregation,” Pistorius insisted.
The husband had earlier told the court that while he was holding their baby outside Zondo’s office at church, the bishop was busy sexually abusing his wife in the office.
He said they were at a church service on December 24, 2018, when someone called his wife to tell her that Zondo wanted to see her in his office.
After waiting for some time, his wife suddenly appeared and it seemed as if she had been crying.
According to him, she had asked them to immediately leave.
The husband testified that his wife was so upset about what happened to her, that she had to seek the help of a psychologist.
He also claimed that when they first wanted to lay charges against Zondo, none of the police officers at the Evaton police station had wanted to assist them, as they were afraid of him.
Zondo had earlier pleaded not guilty to 10 charges, which were mostly of a sexual nature.
The trial continues.
Pretoria News