Busisiwe Mkhwebane to meet with Bheki Cele over Cheryl Zondi bounty

The public protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane has stated her intention to meet with police minister Bheki Cele in pursuit of “urgent intervention” over reports that a bounty has been placed on Cheryl Zondi’s head.

Speaking during a press briefing at the CRL Rights Commission in which Cheryl Zondi announced she would be launching a foundation in her name to help victims of abuse, Mkhwebane confirmed reports that a hit had been put out on Zondi and the other witnesses in the Pastor Omotoso rape trial.

“We need to meet. We planned to meet by this week so that we can have an urgent intervention. I mean the matter is so serious and so scary in that apparently there’s a formation that there’s money which is promised to whoever can take the life of Cheryl and the other girls,” said Mkhwebane.

This comes after Zondi pleaded with authorities to do something about improving the safety of those in South Africa’s witness protection programme.

She did not confirm who had put out the hit on the girls.

Zondi is one of the women who has accused Pastor Timothy Omotoso of rape and who inspired South Africans with the bravery she showed giving testimony amid what many felt was unfair treatment at the hands of the pastor’s advocate, Peter Daubermann, during cross-examination.

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