He prayed, then raped me – woman testifies at bishop’s trial

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Bishop Stephen Zondo is facing numerous counts of sexual misbehaviour, including rape, in the Sebokeng regional court.

A member of the congregation has testified in court about fainting when Bishop Stephen Zondo was praying for her and waking up nude with her clothing all over the place with the sensation that she had just had sex.

During her testimony in the Sebokeng regional court on Monday, the 33-year-old lady was among the members of Rivers of Living Waters Ministries who accused their pastor of sexual assault.

Zondo is accused of committing three sexual assaults and five rapes in Evaton, Vereeniging, and Robertsham.

Zondo is on his second trial for rape. He is currently facing ten counts of rape by seven women, most of whom are members of his church in a case that is still pending in the Pretoria High Court.

He allegedly lured women into his office to pray for them, only to rape or sexually attack them, according to testimony given in court in the Pretoria case.

The woman, who once worked at the church, accused Zondo of sexually abusing her at his Vereeniging house and at church on four separate occasions in the second case heard in Sebokeng on Monday.

The woman said that Zondo offered her leftover food to give to her father after raping her in one of the church offices in November 2013.

She claimed that just prior to the rape, she was at home when her mother called and instructed her to drop everything and head straight to church because Zondo wanted to see her.

Zondo told her to sit down when she got to the church, she said: “When I got to church I found him in another pastor’ s office. He told me to sit down as he was going to pray for me.

“I don’ t remember the conversation between us, I just remember him praying and I fainted. When I woke up I was naked and felt like I had just had sexual intercourse and my clothes were scattered on the floor.

“He was fully dressed.

“He asked me how I felt, where do I come from and what do I remember. I rushed to get dressed because I was ashamed I was naked.

“Staff then brought him food. He ate a bit and then told me to take the food to my father.

“I felt he was disrespecting my father but I took the food, threw away the pap he had eaten and took the meat home,” she said.

The woman started crying during her evidence, so the court had to be delayed for a few minutes to give her time to collect herself.

The woman also talked about how the man of the cloth asked her to relieve him after raping her once more at his Vereeniging house.

“He asked to pray with me, I took a taxi to Vereeniging and he picked me up where I got off.

“When we got to his house, he gave me a bottle of water from the church that we call miracle water.

“We then prayed. After praying he said I must follow him to the bedroom. I was afraid because I knew what was going to happen.

“He came close to me and said I must give him a hug and when I refused he got angry and said I was rejecting him like everybody else. He said he trusts me with his weakness.

“I didn’ t know what to do, I was confused, and he asked me to‘ relieve him’ . He took off my top, saying‘ please relieve me’ .

“I was just powerless to fight, I was confused. He undressed himself and I also took off the pants I was wearing.

“He told me to lie on the bed where there was a towel. He took miracle oil, gold in colour, and applied it on himself before he raped me,” she said

Members of Zondo’s congregation were crammed into the court to show their support.

“Phakama bishop Zondo ixesha lifikile” (get up, bishop, your time has come) was sung by the other supporters outside the court.

Zondo is scheduled to return to court on January 25 after being placed on warning.

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