19-05-2025
Mzansi celebrates as controversial Nigerian pastor, Timothy Omotoso finally deported
A mix of emotions has greeted the news of self-proclaimed man of God, Timothy Omotoso's deportation from South Africa.
With some hailing it as a relief and a sense of closure, while others highlight the failure of the justice system to hold him accountable for his alleged crimes.
Read more | From acquittal to arrest: Televangelist Omotoso detained on immigration charges
Timothy Omotoso, the Nigerian pastor and televangelist, has been deported from South Africa after a lengthy legal battle.
Omotoso was acquitted of 32 serious charges in April 2025.
Despite his acquittal, the Department of Home Affairs declared him a prohibited person, stating his continued stay in the country as unlawful leading to his arrest in East London on Saturday, May 10, 2025. Omotoso then appeared in East London Magistrate's Court - May 12, 2025, where he chose to be deported instead of contesting the Department of Home Affairs' decision and left South Africa from OR Tambo International Airport as broadcasted live by eNCA.
His deportation has been welcomed by ActionSA, which is further calling for a lifetime ban and not just five years.
The party's president, Herman Mashaba, in a press statement, stated that foreign nationals who commit crime in South Africa should face severe sentences and eventual deportation.
'Today, we welcome his deportation from South Africa and hope he never returns to a country whose people and laws he held in contempt. The same fate should befall anyone who either enters our country through fraudulent means or commits crime once here. While our call for harsh punishment against criminals is not limited to foreign nationals, we particularly advocate for severe sentences and eventual deportation in such cases. It is high time South Africa ceased to be seen as a haven for criminality.'
Omotoso's acquittal and deportation without facing any serious consequences and justice not prevailing has sparked widespread public outrage, with many describing it as a miscarriage of justice. The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has announced its intention to appeal the acquittal despite him being deported.
