Court rules that Nigerian televangelist Omotoso can stay in SA for now
EAST LONDON - The East London Magistrates Court has ruled that controversial Nigerian pastor, Timothy Omotoso, can stay in South Africa for now.
The televangelist appeared in court on Tuesday, facing immigration-related charges.
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IOL News
14 hours ago
- IOL News
Shamila Batohi: The scapegoat for a rotten system?
AS Shamila Batohi enters the final stretch of her tenure as NDPP, the knives are out. Image: File AS Shamila Batohi enters the final stretch of her tenure as National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP), the knives are out. The timing is telling, the tone unmistakably hostile, and the message dangerously simplistic: blame Batohi for everything. But is she the villain of the story, or its most convenient scapegoat? There's no denying that the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has suffered high-profile failures under Batohi's watch. The acquittal of Nigerian televangelist Timothy Omotoso on over 30 charges of sexual assault and the recent courtroom blow to the Ace Magashule case, due to procedural issues around the extradition of his former PA, have added to public disillusionment. These losses are symbolic, in the public's eye, of the State's continued failure to deliver justice in a country crying out for accountability. But this narrative, while emotionally satisfying, is intellectually lazy. To understand the failings of the NPA means confronting a far deeper institutional rot, one that long predates Batohi and continues to fester beneath the surface. Shamila Batohi stepped into an institution that was deliberately hollowed out during the State Capture years. The NPA was not just neglected, it was actively sabotaged. Key skills were drained, senior positions were politicised, and internal structures were rigged to favour impunity. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ This wasn't just corruption; it was counter-intelligence in motion, engineered to ensure that those in power would never face consequences. By the time Batohi took the helm in 2019, the institution was functionally compromised. The expectation that she alone could reverse a decade of decay in five years is not just unrealistic, it borders on cruel. Yet when Batohi speaks of 'infiltration' and sabotage from within her own ranks, the reaction is to ridicule, not investigate. That should alarm us. One has to ask: why now? Why, with just six months remaining in her tenure, is the call to replace Batohi growing louder, especially when those calls are paired with a push to 'change the appointment model' for the next NDPP? What lies beneath these headlines could be more than frustration over legal losses. It may well be an elite-driven campaign to ensure that the prosecuting authority remains fragmented, leaderless, and easily manipulated. Batohi's assertion that some prosecutors are actively working with criminals is explosive. If true, it would explain much about the NPA's difficulties in successfully prosecuting powerful figures. It would also point to the continuation of a covert war within the institution, a silent battle between reformers and holdouts from the State Capture era. Her walk-back on the word 'infiltration' has been used to discredit her, but even the toned-down version, that cases are being 'deliberately sabotaged', is a shocking indictment of the institution. And yet, this revelation has been brushed aside in favour of personal attacks on Batohi's leadership. Why are we more comfortable questioning her credibility than investigating the systemic treachery she is pointing to? Let us be clear: the public has every right to demand accountability, performance, and progress from the NPA. But those demands must be grounded in a recognition of the profound institutional crisis that the NPA continues to navigate. To put it bluntly: the house is on fire, and instead of supporting the firefighter, we're blaming her for the flames. Batohi's critics cite case losses as evidence of failure, but in the same breath, they ignore her warnings about prosecutors aiding suspects. They demand better results — yet they scoff at her request for greater support, resources, and protections. They want justice, but not the institutional stability required to deliver it. Leadership, especially in the public service, is as much about what you prevent as what you achieve. It's entirely possible that Batohi's quiet successes, the building of new investigative directorates, the cleanup of internal hiring, and her persistent refusal to bow to political pressure have made her a threat to those who preferred a captured or pliable NPA. If that's true, then the campaign to discredit her is not about justice. It's about power. And so the question becomes: do we, as a society, want a prosecuting authority that works, or one that serves? We can, and should, scrutinise Batohi's record. But let's not be so eager for a scapegoat that we ignore the system that created the crisis in the first place. The very idea of criminal infiltration within the NPA should send shockwaves through the public sphere. Instead, we yawn and demand her resignation.
The South African
17 hours ago
- The South African
Police clamping down on drug mules at OR Tambo
Last night, the South African Police Service reported that three alleged drug mules were arrested at OR Tambo International Airport in one week. Two of the arrests took place on 10 June 2025. In the first arrest, SAPS intercepted a 30-year-old Brazilian national who had landed from São Paulo. She confessed that she had ingested more than 100 cocaine-filled bullets. 'Later the same day, police intercepted a 57-year-old Ethiopian national at the airport's check-in counter before he could board a flight out of the country. A search of the suspect's luggage uncovered over 90 kilograms of Khat,' said police spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Amanda van Wyk. On 5 June 2025, a 42-year-old Nigerian national was arrested on charges of drug trafficking upon arrival at the airport. He had travelled from São Paulo and was en route to Nigeria. 'The drug trafficker landed at 07:00 when he was intercepted by police officers at the airport. A medical x-ray confirmed that he had ingested more than 70 drug bullets suspected to contain cocaine,' said van Wyk. All three suspects are due to appear before the Kempton Park Magistrates' Court on charges of drug trafficking. Last month, The South African brought you the story of a 39-year-old Brazilian national who was found in possession of R 1,4 million worth of cocaine wrapped around his legs. He too was intercepted at OR Tambo after travelling from São Paulo. He told police he was in transit to Benin. At the time, police reported that they were intensifying their efforts to clamp down on the illicit trade of drugs and they had made significant arrests. 'SAPS has intercepted more than 23 drug traffickers at this port of entry in the past six months,' concluded van Wyk. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
Eyewitness News
20 hours ago
- Eyewitness News
3 drug traffickers intercepted in one week at OR Tambo
JOHANNESBURG - Police have intercepted three drug traffickers at OR Tambo International Airport. The South African Police Service (SAPS) said two of the suspects had ingested drug-filled bullets, while the other suspect had stored 90 kilograms of khat in their luggage. Last week, a Nigerian national was arrested upon arrival from São Paulo en route to Nigeria, after police discovered 70 drug bullets in his system. Four days later, a Brazilian national was handcuffed after she had landed from Sao Paulo with 100 ingested cocaine-filled bullets. Police spokesperson Amanda van Wyk said on the same day, another person was caught with drugs. 'Later the same day, police intercepted a 57-year-old Ethiopian national at the airport's check-in counter before he could board a flight out of the country. A search of the suspect's luggage uncovered over 90 kilograms of khat.' Police added that in the past six months, they have intercepted more than 23 drug traffickers at OR Tambo. The three suspects are set to appear soon at the Kempton Park Magistrates Court on charges of drug trafficking.
