Publication: Sapa Issued: Johannesburg Date: 2005-11-21 Reporter: Sapa

Zuma Rape Accuser Vows Not to Drop Charges

 

Publication 

Sapa
BC-ZUMA-COMPLAINANT

Date

2005-11-21

Issued

Johannesburg

Reporter

 Sapa

 

The woman reportedly accusing African National Congress deputy president Jacob Zuma of rape has vowed not to drop the charges, the Mercury website reported on Monday.

It quoted her as saying she was "fine and will not drop the rape charges".

She said she initially feared that it would be her alone against the whole country *1 after her complaint made newspaper headlines.

The complainant broke her silence on Sunday after going to ground for a week as the storm raged around Zuma and the rape allegation.

Speaking to The Mercury by telephone, the complainant declined to divulge her whereabouts.

She is believed to be under police protection or hiding in a neighbouring state until the police decide whether or not to charge Zuma.

Last week, she denied the rape allegation in an interview with the Sunday Independent newspaper.

Two days later, The Star established that a complaint had been lodged, with further confirmation at the weekend when Beeld reported the case number.

On Sunday, the complainant said she had denied the allegation because she had not expected the matter to be made public through the media.

She was afraid she would be flooded with requests for more details of the rape.

"But I am stronger now because I have heard that people are behind me," she told The Mercury.

"At first I was worried that it would be me alone versus the whole country, but after listening to (cellphone) messages left for me, I realised that a number of people were sympathetic to me."

She said she hoped to make a general statement in a week or two.

According to weekend reports, police have asked Zuma for blood samples to determine whether the former deputy president could be conclusively linked to the alleged rape.

One source has said that Zuma has provided a blood sample, but this could not be confirmed.

It is understood that the alleged rape victim called some of her closest friends on Sunday.

She repeated that she was "fine and will not drop the rape charges".

The complainant's mother confirmed that the family home, in Durban, was now under 24-hour guard by a private security firm.

She also confirmed that she had been put under severe pressure to persuade her daughter to drop the charges against Zuma.

Initially, she wanted the charges quashed, but said on Sunday she was now fully behind her daughter.

"My husband fought for freedom so that I can live peacefully in a free country, but today I find myself on the run again - just like before, when I had to live in foreign lands because the government and those who were powerful then did not want my family in South Africa."

It was reported last week that Zweli Mkhize, ANC deputy chairman in KwaZulu-Natal and seen as a strong Zuma ally, had met the complainant's mother to ask her to persuade her daughter to drop the charges.

His spokesman denied the claim earlier this week.

However, Mkhize, too, broke his silence *2 on Sunday.

He explained that he and his family had a longstanding relationship with the complainant's mother and family.

"I have worked very closely with her late husband, who was one of the leaders of the ANC during the days of our liberation struggle."

They had "lived together as friends and neighbours in exile". The two families had remained in contact and had "deep respect for one another".

"We have offered each other support and my family has offered moral and material support whenever this was needed, including contacts between our families in the past few days and helping (the mother) to travel to Johannesburg to visit her daughter."

Mkhize rejected speculation that he was playing a brokering role.

"Some Sunday papers have wrongly reported that a meeting was held *3 between myself, (the mother) and Mr Zuma regarding this matter. Any reference to such a matter is devoid of any truth. No such meeting ever took place."

Zuma has repeatedly denied the rape allegation and his supporters maintain it is part of a smear campaign to discredit him.

With acknowledgement to Sapa.


*1  After the excruciating physical trauma of the incident itself, then the terrible psychological trauma of self-guilt, loneliness and the never-ending self-questioning of "why, why, why ?".

I would say that 98% +/- 2% of women in the RSA would be behind this victim and 82% +/- 10% of men and so one could expect that about 90% +/- 5% of people in the RSA would be behind this victim.

*2  This was no silence. On the evening of 14 November Mkhize's spokesperson, Alex Mtshiyane, reported that "Mkhize had 'no knowledge of the situation'".

*3  Well, a figurative and journalistic pox (these are of the worst kinds) on him for lying that he had no knowledge of the situation'.