Publication: Sapa
Issued: Johannesburg
Date: 2005-11-20
Reporter: Sapa
| Publication |
Sapa
BC-ANC-LD-NEC
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| Date |
2005-11-20
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|
Issued
|
Johannesburg
|
|
Reporter
|
Sapa |
The African National Congress is maintaining silence on the outcome of its two-day National
Executive Committee (NEC) meeting which extended late into a third day on
Sunday.
A report on ways to heal rifts in the party and the rape
allegations against axed Deputy-President Jacob Zuma are believed to have been
on the agenda.
The ANC National Working Committee (NWC) on Monday
approved the report, authored by President Thabo Mbeki and axed Deputy-President
Jacob Zuma.
"The ANC will tomorrow... hold a press
briefing on the outcomes of its national executive committee (NEC)
meeting currently taking place in Kempton Park, Gauteng," the party said in a
short statement on Sunday afternoon.
The briefing will be held at Luthuli
House from 11am.
"Until then, the ANC will not
have any comment on the proceedings of the NEC meeting," the party
said.
Meanwhile, a courtesy call on President Thabo Mbeki by King
Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev of Nepal at 4.30pm on Sunday was postponed until
further notice.
The NEC was scheduled to meet on Friday and Saturday at
Esselen Park, in Kempton Park, on the East Rand. ANC spokesman Steyn Speed would
not comment on why the NEC was meeting for a third day.
Tensions have
arisen in the ANC over accusations by Zuma supporters that he is the victim of a
campaign to prevent him from succeeding Mbeki as president.
This,
following his dismissal earlier in the year, and charges brought against him
after the corruption and fraud conviction of his former financial adviser
Schabir Shaik.
The NWC said the report it discussed at Monday's meeting
captured the substance of interactions between the president and deputy
president of the party over the last two months.
The NEC mandated Mbeki
and Zuma to draft the report on September 9.
It is not clear whether the
NEC discussed what action to take over an alleged rape charge against Zuma
during its weekend meeting.
SABC radio reported that sources within the
NEC told it the allegations were being discussed, but this could not be
independently confirmed.
The Sunday Times and Sunday Independent reported
that apparent confirmation of the charge had polarised the meeting and widened
the gap between the Zuma and Mbeki camps.
Citing two unnamed sources, The
Sunday Independent reported that police took blood samples from Zuma for DNA
testing this week.
However, the Sunday Times reported that police were
reluctant to approach Zuma for a sample until DNA tests had been done on semen
found on the woman's underwear and on swabs taken.
The police have
steadfastly refused to confirm whether they are investigating a charge against
Zuma, even though the Beeld newspaper claimed on Saturday the case number was
312/11/2005.
The SABC reported on Saturday that Johannesburg police had
confirmed that this case number involved a rape allegation, but would not
elaborate.
Speaking to Sapa on Saturday, national police spokeswoman
Director Sally De Beer would not say anything about the case number.
"We
are not going to confirm this case number. I cannot speculate on where the Beeld
got the case number from," De Beer said.
According to Beeld, the
complainant is a 31-year-old, HIV-positive Aids activist who regards Zuma as a
father figure.
A unidentified police officer confirmed to the newspaper
that police were investigating a charge laid on November 4 at the Hillbrow
police station, a day after the alleged offence at Zuma's house in Forest Town,
Johannesburg.
It had furthermore learnt that the woman, who contracted
HIV after being raped some years ago, had a nervous breakdown after news of the
new rape allegation was published and had considered withdrawing the charge. She
was in police protection.
Zuma's supporters have dismissed the rape
allegation -- which surfaced in the Sunday Times last week -- as part of the
smear campaign it believes is being waged against Zuma. With acknowledgement to Sapa.