Jacob Zuma believes his reputation is worth R125-million - and he is demanding that from Independent Newspapers alone.

Lawyers for the former deputy president are demanding that Independent Newspapers and its staff compensate him for publishing an article and a series of Zapiro cartoons that they say "injured Zuma in his dignity and reputation".

But, while a press release from the "Office of Jacob Zuma" announced that Zuma's claim would "make legal history", the cartoonist behind the contentious cartoons has slammed the legal action as a "cheap publicity stunt".

'I'm not losing any sleep over this' "I'm not losing any sleep over this," Jonathan Shapiro, who is better known as Zapiro, said on Monday.

The Star editor Moegsien Williams said the summonses served on The Star, The Sunday Independent and Zapiro were "part of a design to stifle critical coverage and curb the lampooning of Zuma".

"However, the court action won't stop our coverage of the utterances nor the critical examination of the actions of a man who has ambitions to become president of South Africa. And I'm afraid not even a real tsunami can stop Zapiro," Williams said.

Zapiro is being sued for a total of R15-million by Zuma for producing three cartoons which related to Zuma's much-publicised rape trial earlier this year.

The first cartoon referred to Zuma's swearing-in before he took the stand in the trial. The second referred to a "Zuma moral handbook", and the third focused on his acquittal.

Revealing that he had faced a legal claim only once before, Zapiro said he was "intrigued" by Zuma's claim against him.

"It's very unusual for a cartoonist to be sued. Some of the cartoons I've done about Zuma have been hard-hitting but I would go to court to defend every single one of them.

"We have freedom of speech in this country, and satirists should not be made to shut up.

"There have been times in my life when I have been concerned about the cartoons I've created, but this is definitely not one of them."

As news of Zuma's claim spread on Monday morning, presenters at Highveld Stereo's morning show The Rude Awakening launched into an impromptu comedy routine.

According to a statement issued by "The Office of Jacob Zuma", the team performed an audio sketch of an upcoming trial between themselves and Zuma and also played "I am Zuma", a spoof song that Zuma also believes has defamed him.

The incident prompted Zuma to call his legal team and instruct them to increase his demand from the station from R5-million to R7-million.

A downloadable version of the "I Am Zuma" song was removed from the Highveld website on Monday.

This article was originally published on page 1 of The Star on July 03, 2006

With acknowledgement to Karyn Maughan, Gill Gifford and Independent On Line.