This criticism relates to the Timothy Omotoso case.

The Nigerian televangelist and his two co-accused, Lusanda Sulani and Zukiswa Sitho, were acquitted of their charges. They faced 32 charges, including rape, sexual assault, and human trafficking.

Mathafa says they are disappointed not only by the judgment but also by the prosecutors themselves.

“We are appalled and actually gravely concerned by the outcome of this particular case. The acquittal is not a problem; the problem is in the manner in which it happened. And the blame is put squarely at the door of the NPA. The judge was very scathing in terms of the poor performance of the prosecutors in the matter, and the impact is not only on criminal justice but also on the victims and society at large because victims have been let down.”

Mathafa adds that NPA head Advocate Shamila Batohi should have been alarmed earlier on in the case, when some of the charges against the three started getting dropped.

“The charges started at around 63, and I think at the close of the trial, there were about 34 charges if I’m not mistaken. Witnesses started losing interest in the matter, and they started reducing in number. And these are alarm bells that should be picked up by the person responsible for prosecutions. The accusations of one of the prosecutors in terms of withholding evidence should have been a red flag. And besides all these alarm bells, this case is a high-priority case simply because of the nature in which these crimes have been committed,” he adds.

--SABC--