2005-11-15,+Zuma+reports,+B+Day+and+Star,+Monday

Business Day, Johannesburg, Front Page, 14 November 2005 = Crisis week for ANC as spy boss tackles Mbeki = Karima Brown and Vukani Mde

THE African National Congress (ANC) faces a tense week as ousted spy boss Billy Masetlha takes on Intelligence Minister Ronnie Kasrils and President Thabo Mbeki in the Pretoria High Court, and party deputy president Jacob Zuma fights off an explosive rape allegation.

Two Sunday newspapers yesterday reported conflicting stories about Zuma and his alleged involvement in a sexual assault. The reports came on the eve of today’s critical national working committee meeting, where the fallout over Zuma will be discussed.

In a move that is set to widen the party’s divisions, Kasrils and Mbeki will be first and second respondents in a high court case brought by Masetlha and to be argued next week.

Imraan Haffegee, Masetlha’s attorney, confirmed yesterday that he had lodged a high court application on Saturday challenging his client’s suspension by Kasrils. “We have good reason to challenge the action and our challenge relates to the legality of the suspension,” Haffegee said.

Haffegee will argue that only Mbeki and not Kasrils is empowered to suspend Masetlha, thus making his client’s axing from the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) illegal.

Kasrils last month handed Masetlha and two other senior spies letters of suspension following a botched investigation into ANC heavyweight and leading businessman Saki Macozoma.

It is understood Kasrils has not given Masetlha written notification of the reasons for his suspension, to which Masetlha is legally entitled five days after being suspended. Masetlha’s lawyers have also battled to gain access to confidential NIA regulations that they need to argue his case.

Kasrils has consistently defended his axing of Masetlha and the other two officials amid allegations that he acted in a partisan manner against perceived Zuma supporters in the agency.

The minister received strong support from cabinet, but is understood to be under extreme pressure in the ANC and the South African Communist Party (SACP) over his actions.

Kasrils is now likely to be grilled by this weekend’s ANC national executive committee meeting and next week’s SACP central committee meeting.

Many in both organisations believe that his actions were unduly hasty, and may have been motivated by narrow political interests.

In an unusual move that underscored that Kasrils was under pressure, he briefed newspaper editors last week about the suspensions. He reportedly warned editors about a “disinformation” campaign that would be waged following the dismissals of the three.

Sources close to Zuma are now saying that the weekend rape reports are part of the ANC’s dirty war, and are aimed at denting Zuma’s credibility.

Kasrils has also said so-called “hoax” e-mails purporting to show proof of an anti-Zuma plot were part of the disinformation campaign he has warned of.

But party insiders say his public denunciation of the e-mails as “bogus” has prejudged the outcome of an investigation by the inspector-general for intelligence into the origin of the e-mails.

They said this was a further sign of Kasrils’s bias in the matter.

The fallout around Masetlhahas brought the ANC’s divisions into critical state institutions, and is also likely to be a central talking point at the weekend meeting.

From: http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/topstories.aspx?ID=BD4A112705

Business Day, Johannesburg, 14 November 2005 = Fact and fiction amid innuendo and rumour = Vukani Mde and Karima Brown

AS THE political fallout around African National Congress (ANC) deputy president Jacob Zuma intensifies, the truth is likely to be a major casualty.

As a parting shot to his supporters outside the Durban Magistrate’s Court on Saturday after his third and brief appearance on two corruption charges, the fallen deputy president said in Zulu: “At the end of everything, the truth will come out.”

Considering what has happened both before and since his appearance, Zuma’s utterances may appear naive.

Yesterday two Sunday newspapers reported conflicting versions of a claim that Zuma had sexually assaulted a family friend who was a guest at his Forest Town, Johannesburg, home recently.

The Sunday Times said the “complainant” had made a statement to the police, who had since assigned a “top team” of investigators to probe a case of rape against Zuma. The supposed victim had been examined by a doctor who insisted that she go to the police.

In contrast, the Sunday Independent said the woman appeared to be a reluctant pawn in a no-holds-barred smear campaign against Zuma. The paper quoted her denying that she had ever complained of being assaulted by Zuma, whom she said she has known all her life.

From the two contrasting reports, it appears the incident can now be viewed as part of a long list of instances where fact and fiction have been blurred, with the media and public left with more questions than answers in an atmosphere poisoned by innuendo and rumour.

Whatever happened between Zuma and his guest on Wednesday, November 2, is now impossible to establish and made almost irrelevant by the atmosphere generated by the rape claim.

It now seems likely that even if Zuma’s alleged victim was assaulted, the case against her attacker will be weakened by the way it has emerged into the public’s view.

She will then find herself twice violated, first by her alleged rapist, and then by those who have taken it upon themselves to punish him politically rather than through the law.

If no rape took place, both the “victim” and Zuma have been maltreated in the worst possible way, whatever the outcome of his corruption case.

Michael Hulley, one of Zuma’s lawyers, yesterday would not be drawn on what course of action his client would take regarding the rape claims. Hulley said they needed some time to “analyse” the reports before deciding on action. It appears likely, however, that Zuma will seek to take some action.

“It’s something we’re going to consider in the coming week. On the face of it there appears to be a case to be made for defamation, but we need to analyse the (Sunday Times) article first.”

The strain of the latest allegations on Zuma was evident on Saturday. Inside the court he appeared more subdued than he had been for some time.

Insiders said Zuma found out about the rape claims last Tuesday as he was preparing for his court appearance. According to them, he was knocked off course by the developments, which threatened to sow division and disarray in his inner circle.

The claims appeared to succeed in dividing Zuma from some of his allies. While many of them said the rape claim was part of the wider conspiracy against Zuma that they had always alleged existed, others were more circumspect.

They were aware of the dangers of dismissing a rape claim and an alleged victim offhand. The absence of official word from the police, either confirming or denying there is an investigation has further complicated matters and left key Zuma backers uncomfortable.

This leaves the Congress of South African Trade Unions and the South African Communist Party facing the possibility of backing a man charged with corruption and tainted by a rape accusation. If the rape allegations persist, leaders of both organisations will consider this a bridge too far and public opprobrium alone will probably force them to ditch Zuma.

On Saturday all these strains were evident. Zuma appeared reluctant before his crowd outside the court, and had to be cajoled into a rendition of his campaign song, “Mshini wam”.

Observing Zuma, it was obvious that he, too, had become a small part in a bigger and more complicated saga, buffeted by powerful political winds. He looked like a man desperately trying to keep some control over his own destiny.

From: http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/national.aspx?ID=BD4A112710

Zuma supporters say rape claim is a smear
The Star, Johannesburg, Front page, November 14, 2005

By Nalisha Kalideen and Political Staff

A bombshell rape allegation against Jacob Zuma has renewed tensions within the ANC and is likely to derail conciliatory talks between the former deputy president and President Thabo Mbeki.

The allegation arose on Saturday as Zuma was appearing at the Durban Magistrate's Court on corruption charges and a week ahead of a crucial ANC national executive committee meeting that is expected to confront the Zuma-Mbeki issue, which has viciously split the ruling party.

Police yesterday would still not confirm whether a charge of rape had been laid against Zuma and it was still unclear just what transpired at Zuma's Forest Town home in Joburg last Wednesday, the day on which the alleged rape is said to have taken place.

Zuma's supporters claim the allegation is part of a continuing smear campaign to discredit him and prevent him from becoming ANC president in 2007.

The woman believed to be at the centre of the Zuma rape controversy, whose name is known to The Star, yesterday repeated an earlier denial that she had laid a charge of rape against Zuma (63).

She said she was on her way home to Swaziland, because her grandfather was ill.

Asked about reports that she had laid a charge of rape against the former deputy president, she said: "No, I didn't. I don't know where they (Sunday newspapers) got the information from - maybe the police."

She said Zuma had known her father since before she was born.

"Basically, he's one of the people who brought me up in a way. I view him as a father," she said.

She confirmed that she had stayed overnight at Zuma's home last Wednesday. All she was prepared to say about that evening was: "I stayed the night and I left the following day to go to work."

Asked about the nature of her relationship with Zuma, she said: "It's almost as if I have to defend myself. I don't have a comment."

Zuma's attorney, Michael Hulley, said the alleged complainant had denied she was raped and had rejected the allegations.

He also pointed out that neither the SA Police Service nor the National Prosecuting Authority would confirm that a charge of rape had been laid against Zuma.

Hulley said the police had not contacted Zuma for a statement about the alleged incident.

Police spokesperson Director Sally de Beer said: "The SAPS has a policy in place that until a person is charged and brought to court we won't identify them."

The Democratic Alliance said yesterday it would seek answers in parliament concerning reports of a rape charge having been levelled against the ex-deputy president.

From: http://www.thestar.co.za/index.php?fSectionId=128&fArticleId=2993382