Residents of Nelson Mandela Bay have come together to force the closure of the church led by controversial Nigerian pastor and rape-accused Timothy Omotoso.
They say they'll be marching to the Jesus Dominion Church in Govan Mbeki Avenue on Sunday morning, the first step in ensuring its eventual closure.
At a media briefing on Friday, Nomafa Sinetile of the ANC's Young Women's Desk said that as gravely concerned citizens, trade unions, social movements, and political parties, they all agreed that immediate action must be taken.
"We strongly believe that this Church is not serving its purpose," she said.
The decision also comes in the wake of the harrowing testimony this past week by the state's first witness, Cheryl Zondi, and the subsequent grilling she received from Omotoso's defence counsel, Peter Daubermann, during three days of cross-examination in the PE High Court.
Angry supporters crowded Daubermann outside the court on Wednesday when Zondi completed her evidence and the matter was postponed to Monday when a new witness is expected to take the stand."We stand firmly united against rapists, human traffickers and the manipulation of our girl children and sisters. We say enough is enough. This church must be shut down," Sinetile said.
Other speakers at the briefing said the matter should not be politicised.
Meanwhile, in a statement, Zondi said that she was overwhelmed by the support that she was receiving.
The 22-year-old marketing management student said that she was "in absolute awe that so many men and women, both young and old, have taken time out of their daily routine to show their support."
She said it was imperative that the same level of "fierce support" be maintained as fellow survivors continue to take the stand in the Omotoso trial.
The 60-year-old Omotoso and his two co-accused, Lusanda Sulani and Zukiswa Sitho, face 63 main charges that include rape and human trafficking as well as 34 alternative charges.
They chose not to plead to these charges at the start of the trial.
