No proof of rape, court hears

The medical report of Jacob Zuma’s rape accuser contained no proof of rape, his lawyer Kemp J Kemp told the Johannesburg High Court on Wednesday.

“She reported the incident in terms which clearly did not describe it as rape,” Kemp submitted in final argument during his application for his client’s discharge.

Her account of the alleged rape was filled with inconsistencies, he argued.

Kemp did not accept trauma specialist Merle Friedman’s version that the woman did not resist because she froze. He also told the court that the flurry of phone calls between people central to the case afterwards meant nothing.

There was nothing wrong with Zuma’s aide Ranjeni Munusamy and KwaZulu-Natal finance provincial minister Zweli Mkhize trying to get her to drop charges as long as they did nothing improper, and there was no suggestion that they had.

Kemp contended that even though Zuma spoke to the complainant and to her mother after what the former deputy president believed was consensual sex, at no time did he apologise for rape.

Zuma stands accused of raping the woman at his home in Johannesburg on November 2.

Limpopo supporters rally around Zuma

Earlier in the day, Zuma’s supporters chose a presidential theme for Wednesday’s leg of their High Court vigil.

Boosted by a Limpopo African National Congress contingent, supporters at the rape trial carried posters reading: “Zuma for President”, “Zuma ANC Pres uncontested” and “I can’t wait for JZ’s State of Nation address”.

Zuma’s supporters believe the rape charge and other corruption charges are part of a political conspiracy to take him out of the running for the presidency.

Supporter John Molabo held a poster reading: “Sello Moloto 100% supporter of JZ”, but he was not sure whether Moloto, the Limpopo premier, would join the vigil later.

Molabo, who had arrived at 2am, said: “We are here to support our deputy president, who is our president to come.”

Zuma, who was axed as the country’s deputy president, is still deputy president of the ANC. Molabo said the group had taken time off from other activities because, “like soldiers we have to sacrifice”.

Nearby, another group of supporters formed lines and acted out military manoeuvres, with some miming leopard crawls on the tarmac.

A row of riot police officers was positioned in front of them. “We’ve been here since 6.30am ... it’s going to be a long day,” said one.—Sapa