Alliance+on+judgment,+ANC+Deputy+President+Jacob+Zuma+case



=ALLIANCE STATEMENT ON JUDGEMENT IN THE CASE AGAINST ANC DEPUTY PRESIDENT JACOB ZUMA=


 * 8 MAY 2006**

The African National Congress (ANC), South African Communist Party (SACP) and the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) welcome and accept the judgement handed down today in the Johannesburg High Court acquitting ANC Deputy President, Jacob Zuma, of the charge of rape.

The Alliance partners have consistently indicated their support for the principled position that the law should be allowed to take its course, and that the rights and dignity of both the complainant and the accused needed to be respected and upheld.

The Alliance welcomes the fact that the case was conducted in line with key tenets of South African justice, including:


 * that no-one shall be above the law, as enshrined in the Freedom Charter, adopted 51 years ago;
 * The statement contained in our Constitution, adopted exactly ten years ago today, that: "Everyone is equal before the law and has the right to equal protection and benefit of the law";
 * The Criminal Procedure Second Amendment Bill, 2001, which says: "the accused has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty beyond reasonable doubt".

We are relieved that this trial has come to a conclusion, as it has been distressing not only for the families involved, but also for the Alliance and the country as a whole.

The trial process confirms that our democratic institutions, which we fought for over many years, are on a firm footing. The verdict was reached after an exhaustive and transparent process.

We call on all South Africans to accept and respect the judgement handed down today. The judgement means that Jacob Zuma is innocent of the charges levelled against him, and, as the judge indicated, was falsely accused.

Support for due legal process and respect for the judgement, regardless of its finding, is a necessary part of our common responsibility to uphold and protect South Africa's democratic constitutional order.

We call on all our people to continue to exercise discipline and restraint and celebrate only the fact that the trial vindicates the principles enshrined in the Freedom Charter and Constitution.

The Alliance extends a special message of support and empathy to both families involved, who, during a distressing time, have had to endure the public exposure of personal details that would under other circumstances have remained private.

The Alliance partners reaffirm their abhorrence of the crime of rape and all other forms of violence against women. We will continue to press for the severest possible punishments for those found guilty of such offences.

We also note the comments made by the judge around the need of all sections of society, including the media and other commentators, to respect the court and due process of law, not to proceed from a position of ignorance, and to understand that evidence led in a trial should not be taken as policy statements, particularly regarding the issue of HIV and AIDS.

As today's judgement brings this case to an end, the Alliance commends the Alliance membership, in particular, and the people of South Africa, in general, for heeding the call to allow the legal process to run its course, to respect the rights and dignity of those involved, and to exercise discipline, patience and restraint.

Issued by:

South African Communist Party Congress of South African Trade Unions 8 May 2006
 * African National Congress

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