Endless Hope Bible Church leader and TV presenter, Bishop Israel Makamu, was on Wednesday arrested for sexual assault.
Makamu briefly appeared in the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court east of Johannesburg.
Bishop Israel Makamu has been arrested on charges of sexual assault and is appearing at the palm ridge magistrate court today.
— K U L A N I (@kulanicool) May 26, 2021
He was arrested after a complaint was laid at the Brackendowns police station.
The popular Bishop came under fire two weeks ago following a leaked audio recording.
In the audio recording, Makamu allegedly made comments to a young woman who at the time worked at his church, asking if she was home alone.
On Sunday, the flamboyant Pastor appeared on the Moja Love TV show titled AmaBishop, to apologise to the woman but denied the allegations.
Straight from his mouth to your screens, what will Makamu say about the incident? #Amabishop
Today at 21h00 on Moja LOVE DStv Ch158 pic.twitter.com/N3AKmXloIz
— MojaLoveTv DStv Channel 157 (@MojaLoveTv) May 23, 2021
Although he admitted it was his voice on the recording, he denied the conversation was replete with sexual innuendo.
He claimed he was merely asking for church keys which were in the woman’s possession.
Here are the keys. Please share this until Makamu receives his keys. Thanks #Amabishop pic.twitter.com/ygszjthNa6
— Siyanda Jola (@siyanda_jola) May 23, 2021
On Wednesday, the woman laid a sexual assault complaint with the police, related to an alleged 2018 attack that took place at his Alrode office in Alberton.
Police are now investigating the date of the recording which will form part of the evidence.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Phindi Louw-Mjonondwane says, “We can confirm as the National Prosecuting Authority that Bishop Israel Makamu appeared at the Palm Ridge Magistrates’ Court today (Wednesday) facing a charge of sexual assault.”
“The matter has been remanded to July 13, 2021 for further investigations. Makamu has been released on bail of R2000. The case relates to an incident that allegedly happened in his church office in September 2018,” explains Louw-Mjonondwane.
Makamu is not the first man of the cloth to come under fire for sexual abuse allegations.
In 2020, allegations of sexual abuse by Rivers of Living Water’s Bishop Stephen Zondo also emerged at the CRL Rights Commission.
Bishop Zondo approached the courts to stop the commission from continuing to hear allegations of abuse levelled against him but failed.
Makamu has since stepped down from his controversial and popular night-time TV show on the Moja Love channel.
Attempts to get hold of him for comment were unsuccessful.
