South African prosecutors have decided to appeal the recent court decision that cleared Nigerian pastor Timothy Omotoso of rape charges.
The case, which has drawn national attention and public anger, involves around 20 women who accused the preacher of sexual abuse, with some alleging rape.
The development came on Tuesday, just days after Omotoso was taken into custody for a different case involving immigration violations.
Authorities confirmed that he had also faced other charges in the past, including human trafficking.
The decision to appeal followed backlash over the handling of the case.
The court had ruled that the pastor’s explanations were difficult to believe but faulted the prosecution for poorly managing the case, leading to the not-guilty verdict.
This verdict triggered protests outside the courthouse in Gqeberha, where many expressed their frustration with the outcome.
Officials from the National Prosecuting Authority said they believe there is still a chance to succeed on appeal, even though the legal process may be tough.
They also revealed that an internal investigation is ongoing to examine how the original prosecution team handled the case.
That probe has now been widened to cover both sets of prosecutors who worked on the trial, and a report is expected by June.
Omotoso, who is 66 years old, was first arrested in 2017 after a long manhunt.
He faced more than 30 charges related to the alleged abuse. Several young women told the court how they were selected by the pastor and later abused.
Some of the victims said they were still students at the time.
They also described how the pastor would ask for forgiveness through prayer after the incidents.
Omotoso leads the Jesus Dominion International church, which is based in Durban.
The church also has branches in Nigeria and Israel.
The South African government has continued to express concern over rising violence against women.
In the last financial year alone, over 42,000 cases of rape were reported to police across the country.
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