Judge in pastor Omotoso case agrees to recuse himself, lawyer says

Presiding Port Elizabeth High Court judge Mandela Makaula has reportedly agreed to recuse himself from the Timothy Omotoso trial.

This follows a request by Peter Daubermann, the defense attorney for the pastor and his two co-accused. This emerged in a statement on the case – which involves allegations of human trafficking, among others – released by Daubermann late on Wednesday.

He said the recusal would happen next month.

Omotoso, 60, and his co-accused, Zukiswa Sitho, 28, and Lusanda Sulani, 36, face a total of 97 charges ranging from rape to human trafficking.

In a statement, Daubermann said: "The judge has agreed to recuse himself ... pursuant to my request. This will happen on March 15 2019. He will hand down his reasons then. The judge has further agreed that his decision to recuse himself may be published.

Other than providing the basic facts, Daubermann said he had no further comment on the matter.

- HeraldLIVE