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Cheryl Zondi, the first witness in the rape trial of Nigerian pastor Timothy Omotoso, is fighting to prevent an ex-lover from releasing a sex tape, the Sunday Times reported.
Zondi has reportedly been granted an interim court order preventing Sandton businessman Michael Brits from distributing, displaying, selling or making copies of any video or photographs of a sexual nature that depict Zondi.
According to Zondi's court application, Brits had reportedly expressed plans to sell the sex tape to Omotoso in order to tarnish Zondi's reputation and possibly also to obtain a bribe.
The interim order was granted on November 2. A full hearing on the matter will be heard in March next year.
Zondi told the Sunday Times that she had been in a relationship with Brits from February to October last year, however, she was unaware that a recording had ever been made.
She reportedly first became aware of his plans after she was contacted on November 1 by Thoko Mkhwanazi-Xaluva, the chair of the commission for the promotion and protection of the rights of cultural religious and linguistic communities.
Witness protection programme
According to the Sunday Times, Mkhwanazi-Xaluva had been contacted by a whistleblower whose friend had socialised with Brits at a Sandton Hotel on October 30.
During the night he had reportedly shown photographs and videos involving Zondi and had commented about plans to conduct a transaction with Omotoso.
Mkhwanazi-Xaluva also told the Sunday Times that she was aware of a R500 000 bounty, to have Zondi killed, that was being offered by Omotoso's followers.
Previously, News24 reported that Zondi remains under the witness protection programme. Recently, Zondi reported that she had laid a complaint with the Public Protector in order to promote changes to the system that assisted victims more productively.
The 22-year-old university student previously testified in the trial of Omotoso and his two co-accused in the Eastern Cape High Court in Port Elizabeth. They are facing 63 charges and 34 alternative charges, which include rape, sexual assault and racketeering.
Earlier this month, Zondi launched her own foundation to help women and children who have been abused.
Omotoso's trial is expected to resume on February 4, next year.
