Publication: City Press Issued: Date: 2005-11-13 Reporter:

Sexual Assault Claim Hits Zuma

 

Publication 

City Press

Date

2005-11-13

Web Link

www.news24.com

 

South Africa's sacked deputy president Jacob Zuma appeared briefly in court on Saturday in connection with a graft scandal, with his troubles deepening as he was hit by a sexual assault allegation.

During the three-minute hearing at the magistrate's court in the eastern port city of Durban, state prosecutor Billy Downer officially served Zuma with the corruption indictment sheet outlining the charges against him.

"The matter is now transferred to the high court for trial. The trial is set for the 31st of July," said magistrate Bilkish Asmal.

Dressed in a dark suit, Zuma nodded when asked if he understood the proceedings.

But the trouble deepened Saturday for Zuma, a top contender to replace Thabo Mbeki as president in 2009, as the South African newspaper The Sunday Times reported a woman had filed a sexual assault complaint against him.

The newspaper said the woman, an Aids activist in her thirties whose family had long known Zuma, filed the complaint after visiting his house in Johannesburg.

"The alleged victim ...has laid a complaint with the police that she was sexually assaulted by Zuma on Wednesday night last week," it reported.

Outside the court, streets were closed to allow for some 3 000 supporters, wearing red and black T-shirts and chanting "Zuma, Zuma", to show solidarity with the immensely popular African National Congress (ANC) leader.

President Thabo Mbeki sacked Zuma in June after a court found there was a "generally corrupt" relationship between him and his financial advisor Schabir Shaik, who is now serving a 15-year jail sentence.

The charges against him relate to a multi-billion-dollar government arms deal. Zuma allegedly arranged a bribe to protect a local subsidiary of French arms company Thales from a state investigation into alleged irregularities.

Two local subsidiaries of Thales also face charges.

Zuma has always proclaimed his innocence.

Woman under protection

In its report on the sex allegations, the Sunday Times said police had assigned senior investigators to look into the allegations and placed the woman under protection.

One of Zuma's lawyers, Michael Hulley, told the newspaper his client "refuted the allegations out of hand".

The corruption case has caused divisions within the ruling ANC, with Zuma's mainly grassroots and leftist supporters saying it is a political conspiracy by the ANC elite to block his path to the presidency.

The indictment sheet states that Zuma, referred to as "accused one", "unlawfully and corruptly received... gratification" which "amounts to the abuse of a position of authority."

After the court proceedings, Zuma addressed his supporters in Zulu from a makeshift platform amid a heavy police presence, with a helicopter hovering overhead.

He thanked them for their support, saying he considered it an "act of defence of democracy", but urged them not to repeat behaviour seen during his last court appearance when some burned T-shirts bearing President Mbeki's face.

"Keep it under control," Zuma said, adding that he hoped he would again see such huge support at the high court next year.

The crowds asked him to sing an old liberation song, "Mshini", which roughly translates into "I'm ready to go to war", and they loudly joined in while Zuma danced and sang on stage.

With acknowledgement to City Press.