#OmotosoTrial: Idols twins receive death threats
Former Idols SA contestants Anele and Neliswa
Mxakaza, who won the hearts of South Africans during the 2013 season of
the competition, have been receiving death threats after publicly
supporting the women who accuse Nigerian pastor Timothy Omotoso of rape
and human trafficking.
This week, Cheryl Zondi gave graphic testimony about
her rape ordeal, allegedly at the hands of Omotoso. When they severed
ties with Omotoso, the twins said that they were aware of instances
where women had been sexually abused at the uMhlanga house.
They went on to say that they were "blinded and our
spirits were controlled or locked up somewhere by this man ... we could
see all the wrongs but were never bold enough to speak out. Omotoso
caused divisions in many families and ruined many people's lives.
"The rape allegations were not new to us. The girls
would talk immediately after it happened in the house. When one (of the
girls) was called to the upper room we knew what was going to happen to
them. We were made to keep quiet and never say anything. We ran away ..
because we knew what was happening. Even when we had left the church we
were still not free to talk. We were afraid that something bad will
happen to us or our families".
Over the past few days, Anele has posted messages of
support for Omotoso's victims that have apparently angered the very
people she once worshipped with at the Jesus Dominion International
Church. She also interacted with posts from other survivors which detail
the way in which they were manipulated by church members.
The trial appears to be taking its toll on a number of
young women who were once affiliated with Omotoso's church and Anele
shared her heartbreak at revisiting the memories of their ordeal.
The Mxakazas
previously described the months they spent living at Omotoso's
rented Umhlanga home as "the worst experience ever".
They said the women who accused Omotoso of raping them
are their "blood sisters" and they were made to turn their back on them
and support the televangelist when the allegations against him first
came to light.
"We have been in this Ministry for four years and we
have lived in his house in Umhlanga for about a year, it was the worst
experience ever... we were actually pushed to please the man, we were
told that God will punish us if we ever say anything against Omotoso. We
lived a life full of threats and fear," the talented pair said in 2016.
According to the Mxakaza twins, elders from Omotoso's
Jesus Dominion International church "played a part in making us run away
from our homes to stay in Omotoso’s house". They said that they "were
made to believe that Omotoso is the closest person to God and we can
never have a relationship with God except through Omotoso."
