Staff Reporter.
Rivers of Living Waters Church leader Bishop Stephen Zondo pleaded not guilty to 10 charges against him,including rape.
The much-awaited sex trial eventually kicked off in the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria.
While Zondo did not give an explanation of plea, his advocate Piet Pistorius said his defence will become clear during the trial.
The bulk of the proceedings was spent by an application by the prosecution for the complainants to testify behind closed doors.
Prosecutor Cornelia Harmzen told Judge Papi Mosopa that the events the women had to relive in court were still very traumatic for them.
She said it would be in the interest of justice to testify behind closed doors, as they will have to talk about very intimate details.
Judge Mosopa ruled that the first witness to take the stand – a now 46-year-old woman – had to testify in open court. However, he ordered that the media may not identify her.
The judge said that this was not a blanket order that all the alleged victims had to testify in open court, especially those who earlier chose to testify in camera during the commission.
Zondo is facing nine counts of rape, which include women who were members of his church.
According to the NPA, Zondo allegedly raped one of his victims in 1980 while she was eight or nine years old.
He is also facing charges of defeating the ends of justice for allegedly offering R25,000 to one of the victims for her to drop the charges.
Some of the women lined up to testify against Zondo have testified before the CRL Commission, detailing their horror at the hands of the founder of Rivers of Living Waters Ministries in Evaton in the Vaal.
The trial will resume soon.