Publication: The Natal Witness Issued: Date: 2005-12-07 Reporter: Adriaan Basson Reporter:

Top Figures to Testify

 

Publication 

The Natal Witness
Date 2005-12-07

Reporter

 Adriaan Basson

Web Link

www.witness.co.za

 

[] Photo: AP In this file photo taken on November 12, 2005, dismissed deputy president Jacob Zuma leaves the courthouse in Durban, where he faces corruption charges. Zuma was charged in a Johannesburg court yesterday with raping a 31-year-old Aids activist. He was not asked to plead and will appear in February 2006 to answer to the charges.

One of Jacob Zuma’s greatest ANC confidantes and MEC for finance in KwaZulu-Natal, Dr Zweli Mkhize, will testify against him when his rape trial comes up in February next year.

Another key witness will be ex-cabinet colleague and Minister of Intelligence Ronnie Kasrils, according to information that came to light last night.

Zuma was formally charged with rape in the Johannesburg Magistrates Court yesterday morning. His alleged rape victim will testify in court that Zuma raped her after she would not allow him to massage her.

This allegation forms part of the state’s indictment.

Yesterday was a day of enormous setbacks for the dismissed deputy president.

First he was formally charged and released on bail of R20 000. After that he formally suspended himself from all the ANC’s structures.

Later on in the afternoon the ANC Women’s League withdrew their support of Zuma, expressing their disappointment at the rape charge.

Moreover, according to the charge sheet, Zuma has had extremely stringent bail conditions imposed on him. Among other things he has to keep Superintendent Peter Linda, the investigating officer, informed on a weekly basis of his whereabouts and he may not leave the country without Linda’s permission, reports Katrien Smit.

Zuma is also allowed no contact whatsoever with any of the state witnesses, who include the complainant, her mother, Kasrils and Mkhize.

Zuma was brought to the court under strict police guard before 8 am yesterday morning. Reporters trying to gain access to the court room were refused entry by police and bodyguards.

Court officials told Beeld that everyone in the court had been ordered to stand in the side corridors and no one was allowed near Court Nine, where Zuma was being charged. Zuma and his legal team were allowed access through the court’s normally-closed side entrance. This entrance is intended for vehicles transporting prisoners in custody to court.

Magistrate M. Budricks granted bail of R20 000 to Zuma and postponed the case to February 13, when the trial will begin in the Johannesburg High Court.

According to the indictment, Zuma invited the complainant to his home in Forest Town on November 2. In the course of the evening he invited her to stay overnight and showed her to her room.

Later that night, when she was allegedly asleep, Zuma came to her room “and offered to massage her”.

The complainant allegedly refused, upon which Zuma allegedly removed her duvet and raped her.

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said in a statement that “after due consideration of the facts in the relevant case docket, the NPA has decided that Mr Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma be arraigned in Johannesburg High Court on a charge of rape”.

In a statement issued by Zuma after his court appearance, as well as in an affidavit forming part of the charge sheet, Zuma still strongly denies having raped the 31-year-old complainant, an HIV- positive Aids activist and family friend who regarded Zuma as a father figure.

“I am taking the allegations against me very seriously since I abhor any abuse of women. Throughout my life, in line with the policy of my organisation the ANC, I have fought against all forms of violence and abuse against women,” Zuma said.

Yesterday morning’s news means that Zuma will be involved in two separate criminal cases in two high courts next year.

The rape case starts in Johannesburg on February 13, and the corruption case on July 31 in Durban.

The ANC, of which Zuma is the deputy president, called an emergency meeting of its executive, the National Working Committee, last night and promised a comprehensive statement today. Analysts said the committee could decide to suspend Zuma.

Zuma said in his statement he was suspending participation in all ANC bodies but would not step down as party number two.

“It is a very difficult moment [for the ANC],” party spokesman Smuts Ngonyama acknowledged in an interview with Johannesburg’s Talk Radio 702.

With ackowledgements to Adriaan Basson and The Natal Witness.