'I heard her screaming from pastor's office': witness in Zondo rape trial

A woman has told the Pretoria high court that she heard her friend screaming from the office of Bishop Stephen Zondo, only to find out that he had allegedly raped her.

The state introduced a new state witness when the rape trial of Zondo, the Rivers of Living Waters Ministries’ leader, continued on Thursday. The witness is a friend of a woman who was allegedly raped by Zondo on Saturday, December 19 2015.

She told the court she went to the Robertsham branch in Johannesburg with the alleged victim, and two other people including the victim’s daughter. When they arrived in the parking lot, they saw Zondo standing outside, she said.

“We got out of the car and went to greet him.”

She told the court that she noticed that Zondo’s hands were oily but did not know where the oil came from.

“We returned back to the car, but my friend stayed behind with Zondo. They walked and entered his office, and we stayed outside the car.”

She heard screaming coming from Zondo’s office but told the court she did not find it unusual as this often occurred during prayers and deliverances.

Asked by the state how long the two were in the office, she was unsure but said it was long enough for the daughter to get irritated and want to go home.

But after some time, the woman was allegedly escorted out of the office by Zondo. She looked pale and her clothes seemed ruffled up, she said.

The two spoke again only three days later, over the phone, she said.

“We greeted each other and she asked how I had been. We were talking and she said: ‘My friend, Zondo raped me on Saturday.’ I was surprised. After she told me that, I asked her if there was truth to what she was telling me. She said yes ... She sounded very emotional. She sounded like someone who was hurt.”

The alleged victim is the mother of the Zondos' cook, whom he also allegedly raped. The cook was allegedly sexually assaulted twice by Zondo before he allegedly raped her also in 2015.

The cook’s husband gave testimony earlier during proceedings on how Zondo allegedly violated his wife.

The trial continues on Friday with cross-examination of the witness by the defence team.

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