Publication: Sapa Issued: Johannesburg Date: 2005-11-19 Reporter: Sapa

Police Mum on Zuma Rape Charge

 

Publication 

Sapa
BC-LD-ZUMA

Date

2005-11-19

Issued

Johannesburg

Reporter

 Sapa

 

The police have refused to confirm whether a charge of rape was being investigated against axed Deputy President Jacob Zuma.

This was despite the Beeld newspaper printing the number of the case, 312/11/2005, across its front page on Saturday.

The SABC reported that the Johannesburg police had confirmed that the case number Beeld published had involved a rape, but would not elaborate.

However, speaking to Sapa, national police spokeswoman Director Sally De Beer would not even 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," national police spokeswoman Director Sally De Beer told Sapa.

"Our position has not changed. We cannot comment."

According to Beeld the complainant was a 31-year-old HIV-positive Aids activist who regarded Zuma as a father figure.

The charge was laid on November 4 at the Hillbrow police station, a day after the alleged offence took place at Zuma's house in Forest Town, Johannesburg.

Beeld wrote that a police officer -- whom they did not identify -- had confirmed that the charge had been laid and was being investigated.

A source in the SA Police Service said the case was being investigated by Superintendent Peter Linda, head of the Johannesburg family violence, child abuse and sexual offences unit. Linda became famous for his detective work in the case of South Africa's most notorious serial rapist, Fanwell Khumalo.

Linda, however, declined to confirm that he was investigating such a case.

Beeld said it had reliably learned that the complainant in the Zuma case had a nervous breakdown after news of the rape allegation was published in the media. Apparently she was raped some years before, and became HIV-positive.

According to the source, the woman had considered withdrawing the charge, and that was why she apparently told a newspaper that she had not been raped, and denied laying a charge against Zuma.

The source confirmed that the complainant was in police protection while the investigation proceeded.

The complainant's mother was in Swaziland when she heard of the incident. She flew to Durban where she apparently advised her daughter to drop the case, but could not perused her to do so.

Beeld's source said that the KwaZulu-Natal MEC for finance, Zweli Mkhize, one of Zuma's confidants, paid for the mother's flight.

Mkhize's spokesman, however, has denied knowing anything about the allegations.

Zuma's attorney, Michael Hulley, was not available for comment, but had previously repeatedly denied the rape allegation.

Zuma's supporters have dismissed the rape allegation -- which first surfaced in the Sunday Times last week -- as part of a plot to prevent Zuma becoming president in 2009 when President Thabo Mbeki leaves office.

With acknowledgement to Sapa.