Giving up ‘not an option’, says Cheryl Zondi
The first witness to testify against the human trafficking and rape accused pastor, Timothy Omotoso, says she will remain as a state witness despite the fact that she will have to go through gruelling cross-examination again.
Cheryl Zondi addressed the media in Johannesburg on Tuesday following the decision by High Court Judge Mandela Makaula to recuse himself from the trial last week Friday.
Makaula announced his decision to step down after it came to light that a number of state witnesses were accommodated at a Port Elizabeth establishment his wife owns.
ALSO READ:Trevor Noah on meeting Ramaphosa: ‘Where is my history teacher now?’
Makaula earlier came under fire from Omotoso’s defense team for his alleged biased towards Zondi.
“Giving up is not an option. Yes, I’m only human, but that’s all I need to be. I want everyone looking up to me to see it’s possible to go through this and move on, be happy, be unapologetic, where what they want, go where they want, be sexual if they want and just live how they want. It’s possible,” said Zondi.
It is still not clear when Zondi will take to the stand again.
She said the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has yet to discuss with her the implications of Makaula’s recusal.
“The NPA has not yet reached out to me to officially tell me how the recusal is going to affect me, but I do read the news and bottom line is that I’m likely going to have to start testifying all over again from scratch, as if nothing happened last year.”
Zondi said she is ready for the fight even though she expects the second round of testimony be even tougher.
“It was extremely difficult and agonizing for me before and I expect the process to be even worse and more amplified this time with the defence lawyer. I was referring to earlier wanting to have cameras removed from court and basically dictate how I tell my story, the story belongs to me.”