Publication: The Star Issued: Date: 2005-11-17 Reporter: Thokozani Mtshali Reporter: Reporter:

Zuma Could Be Suspended as ANC Deputy President

 

Publication 

The Star
Date 2005-11-17

Reporter

 Thokozani Mtshali

Web Link

www.thestar.co.za

 

Cosatu 'prepared to reconsider its support for Zuma'

The rape allegations against Jacob Zuma have cost the former deputy president critical support as he launches a fight for his political survival.

Sources say that, depending on what the police say before the party's national executive committee (NEC) meets at the weekend, the ANC could move for Zuma's suspension *1 as deputy president of the ruling party.

Such talk is gaining ground even in provinces that have strongly supported Zuma up till now, such as KwaZulu Natal, although it is believed that some supporters, including some NEC members, intend to oppose any move to suspend him.

ANC spokesperson Smuts Ngonyama said yesterday the party was "seriously concerned" *2 about the rape allegations levelled against its deputy president.

Cosatu, embattled Zuma's most vocal supporter, said it was prepared to reconsider its support for him over the alleged rape, should concrete *3 information emerge.

"Our position would not just change, but we will also pronounce it loudly that we are very disappointed *4," Cosatu spokesperson Paul Notyawa said yesterday.

This announcement marks a sharp deviation from Cosatu's stance on Monday following reports that a rape charge had been laid against the ANC deputy president. 

Cosatu had argued that the accusations against Zuma bore the hallmarks of character assassination and a disinformation campaign waged by factions within the ANC through the media.

"Then there follows a trial in the media and the passing of sentence in the court of public opinion. This phenomenon has plunged our country and movement into its current crisis," Cosatu said.

But, as the rape allegations against Zuma refuse to go away, it appears that some within the union's leadership were alarmed that Cosatu's initial comment might have been premature.

Notyawa conceded that, apart from new information that might come from the police, Cosatu's position might also change next week when Cosatu's central executive committee - which represents all Cosatu structures and consists of about 90 members - sits to discuss a variety of issues, including the latest twist in the Zuma saga.

Another vociferous Zuma defender, the ANC Youth League, has been conspicuously silent over the alleged rape. "We are concerned about the issue but we will engage with it when we have full details *5," the league said.

With acknowledgements to Thokozani Mtshali and The Star.


*1  What's should be the attitude towards the possible criminality of one sexual assault charge, with potential sentence of 5 to 15 years of custodial incarceration, to the possible criminality of two corruption charges, with potential aggregate sentence of 30 years of custodial incarceration?

Answer - consistency.

*2  But not seriously concerned about the corruption charges - "innocent until proven guilty".

*3  DNA.

*4  Very concrete forensic information had emerged that the Accused is guilty of corruption - the indictment says it directly and a judge has made the strongest inference possible, but these persons' positions did not change.

Indeed they pronounced very loudly that they were not at all disappointed in the Accused's conduct and that he should :
Rape or sexual assault is a heinous crime, but so is corruption, especially when the latter involves amounts of over R500 000 per annum, ADS dividends, French Arms Dealers and positions of public trust nearly as high as they can get.

*5  Surely the person is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law and, unlike the corruption charges, there has not even been a summons in the later matter, not even a confirmation of a complaint, indeed a denial of a complaint by the possible complainant.

What a bunch of turkeys.