Publication: Sunday Argus
Issued:
Date: 2005-11-20
Reporter: Sibusiso Ngalwa
The
silence from the ANC on the Jacob Zuma rape allegation has been truly deafening.
It is now a week since the allegation first emerged in public and the only
official response has been from the camp of the embattled former deputy
president himself, who maintains no charge has been laid against him and
therefore he has nothing to say, except that he did not rape
anyone *1.
But the publication in several newspapers yesterday of
the case number of the complaint against Zuma filed at the Hillbrow police
station in Johannesburg has raised the stakes to another level
altogether.
The public deserves to know what is going on behind the
scenes in this sordid episode.
The few facts
in the public domain have been provided by newspapers, not the legion of
government and party spokesmen employed in our supposedly transparent state to
keep the public informed on matters of national importance.
And the
laying of an allegation of rape against the former deputy
president of the country *3 in the midst of his bitter power struggle
with the president is such a matter.
The trickle of sensational news
started last Sunday, when the Sunday Times quoting sources stated a rape
complaint had been laid against Zuma, and that it was being taken seriously by
police.
Zuma's camp maintained there was no such complaint, no rape, and
the episode was a smear campaign against their man.
Zuma's connections put the alleged complainant in touch with
Sunday Argus, and she denied laying a complaint and denied she had been
raped.
Further news came later in the week from official sources quoted
by The Star, which said while a complaint had been laid, it was not
sound.
Then came yesterday's reports in Beeld and its sister newspapers
revealing the case number and the claim that the complainant intended to stick
with her rape accusation.
Meeting in Kempton Park, the ANC's National
Executive Committee said nothing. The police said nothing. The government said
nothing.
Well, let us tell them what they should be saying. Given the
power struggle Zuma is waging, and the corruption charges he is fighting, the
police's political masters should be telling us
exactly where the investigation into the rape claim stands.
The NEC should be assuring the public that this high-level
committee is addressing the issue as a matter of urgency, and will let the
public know the outcome as soon as possible.
Zuma
should be telling us that, given the seriousness of the claim, he is
standing down from his duties as deputy president of the ANC until the matter is
resolved.
Given the background that anything involving Zuma will be seen
in the light of his struggle with President Thabo Mbeki, we need clarity on what
action the authorities are taking.
Anything less will be seen as a behind-the-scenes power struggle which cares little for the
rights of complainants.
With acknowledgement to Sunday Argus.
*1 Also never met Alain Thetard in
Durban or anywhere else on or about 11 March 2000 nor ever discussed finances
with anyone from Thomson-CSF *2.
*2 Except,
possibly, confirming by means of encoded declaration a 500k ZAR per annum
contribution to the Education Trust from one of the stingiest or secretive good
cause benefactors on the planet.
*3 Present
deputy president of the political party ruling the country.