Dutch acted on humanitarian grounds

The Dutch embassy in Pretoria has denied that the woman who last year accused ANC deputy president Jacob Zuma of rape had been granted political asylum in the Netherlands.

The woman had been given a residence permit, but not political asylum, said spokesman Jantinus Smallenbroek.

He described the assistance given as "humanitarian asylum".

"Political asylum is given to people who are persecuted for political or religious reasons and who fear for their lives," he said.

"That is not the case here. She has been granted a residence permit."

Smallenbroek said the Dutch foreign ministry would soon issue a full statement explaining the details of the case and setting out the government's grounds for granting the woman a residence permit.

He could not confirm that this had been granted well ahead of the customary five-year period, although this was implied by her entering the Netherlands last year after the trial in which Zuma was acquitted of rape.

Smallenbroek confirmed that the Pretoria embassy had given the woman a visa to enter the Netherlands last year after a Dutch non-governmental organisation, Aids Fund, had invited her to visit the country to recover from all she had experienced over her rape allegation against Zuma.

She could stay in the Netherlands for up to five years.

The Dutch newspaper Volkskrant had reported she had been given political asylum because she feared that Zuma's supporters might harm her.

According to the newspaper, the woman arrived in the Netherlands with her mother soon after the trial ended on May 11.

Her arrival in the country was said to be in terms of a political arrangement.

She was understood to have been at risk in South Africa as she had received a number of death threats.

The woman was said to have been granted a business visa by the Dutch embassy in Pretoria in response to the invitation.

When this visa expired, the asylum procedures came into effect, and her rights to stay in Amsterdam were called into question.

The woman had been working for the fund and lived in a house in Amsterdam that it rented.

Canada and the UK were also said to have offered the woman protection.

With acknowledgement to Peter Fabricius and Cape Argus.