Some broadcasters have buckled under pressure from a lobby group to have all sermons conducted by the embattled Bishop Bafana Zondo taken off air with immediate effect.
This as Zondo faces charges of allegedly raping 10 of his congregants.
The call coincided with the country marking 16 days of activism against the abuse of women and children.
Back To God chairperson Pitso Mabochobocho, in a letter addressed to Soweto TV executive producer Mandla Ncitwa wrote: “As a concerned organisation, we find it insulting to the victims of rape and gender-based violence (GBV) victims and a nation as a whole for the channel to disregard the sensitivity of the fight against GBV by continuing to give him (Zondo) a platform that he uses to lure unsuspecting victims to his hideous sexual deeds.
“We have now decided to march (on Thursday) peacefully to your premises and hand over a memorandum demanding that your channel should immediately stop giving Rivers of Living Waters Ministries (RLW) under the leadership of Bishop Zondo preferential treatment until his rape trial is finalised at the High Court.
“We demand that Bishop Zondo be taken off air with immediate effect.”
“It’s common knowledge that Bishop Zondo has appeared before the (North Gauteng) High Court in Pretoria and to our surprise your channel is still the only one that doesn’t see it morally wrong to continue doing business with him or his church.”
Zondo was taken to court by 10 women alleged that he rape and sexually assaulted them.
He has pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
The community TV station on Thursday issued a statement confirming that it has with immediate effect decided to remove from its platform all Rivers of Living Waters Ministries content.
“After careful consideration and deep reflection, the board decided that it is best that the matter of Bishop Zondo be concluded first and then decide on a permanent position on airing the content.
“Although by no means is our decision a pronouncement on the guilt or otherwise of Bishop Zondo, we believe the charges are of a very serious nature and we are morally bound to suspend the content until the matter is concluded.
“South Africa is facing a serious scourge of gender-based violence and as a responsible channel, we cannot be tone deaf to these matters” read the statement in part.
However, Hope FM CEO Motseki Mabuya, a community radio station in Vereeniging, said Zondo’s voice would not be heard in the morning slot, but the station would continue to provide a platform for RLW sermons conducted by other senior pastors of the church.
“The church is not on trial but its leader is, and therefore the church will continue.
“As a station we support and believe that the messages around woman and child abuse should be taken seriously,” said Mabuya.
Meanwhile, Zondo said: “We confirm that Soweto TV has decided to suspend the airing of Rivers of Living Waters programmes during this period of the 16 days campaign.
“As the church, we understand and remain sensitive to the issues relating to gender-based violence because it is our moral obligation to promote the notion of peace, love and not violence.
“For this reason, we support the decision by Soweto TV regarding the suspension of our programmes.”
Zondo added that it should be understood that only a bold and resolute action, rather than outrage, is what the country needs to change the shocking state of affairs relating to GBV.
“As a global ministry, we remain steadfast in our view that there is a need to work together, as humanity, to fight the scourge of GBV.
“We will engage with Soweto TV on the decision taken and hope that a lasting solution is found,” said Zondo.
Gau TV and Tshwane TV stopped more than a year ago to broadcast his church’s sermons because of the rape allegations.
However, the spokesperson for the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities (CRL Rights Commission) Mpiyakhe Mkholo could not be drawn to comment on these developments.
CRL summoned witness to testify against Zondo in November last year.