Ruling expected in Zondo’s request to remove Judge Mosopa from case

The Pretoria High Court will announce its decision regarding Bishop Stephen Zondo’s request for Judge Papi Mosopa to step down from his trial.
Zondo, head of the Rivers of Living Water Church, is seeking the judge’s removal from the proceedings where he is confronting nine charges of rape and sexual assault.
This request comes after Judge Mosopa rejected Zondo’s attempt to have the charges withdrawn, citing Section 174 of the Criminal Procedure Act.
Zondo previously asserted that the prosecution hadn’t provided sufficient evidence, but the judge deemed the witnesses’ accounts trustworthy and believable.
He now believes the judge’s comments suggest a pre-conceived outcome and a lack of future impartiality.
The Bishop has consistently refuted the accusations leveled against him, claiming his church has been the target of the CRL Rights Commission and disgruntled former congregants.
VIDEO | Bishop Stephen Zondo addresses abuse claims – November 15, 2020: