The 66-year-old pastor was to leave from Johannesburg’s OR Tambo Airport for his native Nigeria, state broadcaster SABC and Newsroom Afrika television said.
Images broadcast showed Omotoso at the airport in a grey hoodie and sunglasses, chatting to an immigration official.It was not immediately clear what time his flight would depart.
A transport ministry official told AFP that Omotoso did not have to seek clearance from them to leave the country. Earlier this year, on April 2, the Gqeberha High Court acquitted Omotoso of 32 serious charges, including rape.
He had previously faced over 90 allegations, including rape, human trafficking, and racketeering.
He and his co-accused, Lusanda Sulani, aged 41, and Zikiswa Sitho, aged 33, had faced 32 counts ranging from racketeering and trafficking in persons to rape.
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The trial spanned eight years before the acquittal.Omotoso, founder of the Durban-based Jesus Dominion International church, was originally arrested in 2017. His high-profile trial drew national attention and sparked widespread public outrage.
Earlier this week, the court ruled that the Nigerian preacher will not be deported until his application for a review of Department of Home Affairs’ decision is heard in court.
A crowd of congregants supporting Omotoso burst into song and dance, with many holding pictures showing the televangelist’s face.
