Rape allegations against African National Congress deputy president Jacob Zuma appear to have been deliberately leaked in a bid to increase the pressure on Zuma ahead of this weekend’s crucial ANC national executive committee (NEC) meeting.
However, no evidence has come to light to suggest the allegations themselves were manufactured. Zuma, through his attorney, has categorically denied the charge.
Two sources have claimed that details of the rape charge were confirmed to the Sunday Times by top-level police officials.
The paper broke the story, but the rape claim was also denied in a simultaneous account, sympathetic to Zuma, in Independent Group newspapers.
South African Police Service (SAPS) spokesperson Sally de Beer said she was not aware of any leaks and did not wish to comment further. Officially, the police have refused to confirm or deny whether any charge was laid against Zuma.
In addition, the Mail & Guardian has established that employees of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) became aware of the allegations almost immediately after the alleged incident, which reportedly took place on November 2.
The woman at the centre of the rape row is a personal friend of Kimi Msibi, assistant to NIA and intelligence ministry spokesperson Lorna Daniels. Msibi confirmed that she was a friend of the alleged victim, but declined to comment further.
Daniels declined to comment on when she became aware of the allegations: “I have certainly not leaked the information to the media and I refuse to be drawn in on matters that have nothing to do with my official responsibilities,” she said.
Sources in the Zuma camp have blamed the NIA for the leaks and have been reluctant to point fingers at the SAPS, which they have regarded as an ally in Zuma’s battle against the Scorpions.
Police Commissioner Jackie Selebi has been at the forefront of the initiative to have the Scorpions incorporated into the police, and this is regarded as one of a number of factors that may have put his relationship with President Thabo Mbeki under strain.
While there is no suggestion that Selebi had a personal hand in leaking information about the rape allegations, observers say other police officials might have viewed the rape charges as an opportunity to curry favour with the presidency.
There is intense speculation on whether the matter will be raised at the NEC meeting this weekend — although this was denied by the head of the presidency, Smuts Ngonyama.
Any confirmation of a formal charge laid against Zuma could lead to pressure for his suspension as ANC deputy president, a platform he has used highly effectively to mobilise popular support under the guise of campaigning for the forthcoming local government elections.
Asked to comment on media speculation that the police might make a statement on the Zuma matter, Sally de Beer would only confine herself on Thursday to saying there would be no statement “in the next 24 hours”.
Meanwhile, it has emerged that the rape complainant is a prominent HIV/Aids activist who is open about her HIV-positive status. She has been in virtual hiding since Sunday and could not be reached.
The woman told other newspapers that she was a family friend of the Zumas and regarded Zuma as a father figure. She would only confirm that she had spent the night in question at the Zuma house in Johannesburg.
However, a family friend, who did not want to be named, said the allegations came as a shock to the family, especially to the alleged victim’s mother. “She is still in a state of shock. She can’t believe that her child has been used for political reasons. Zuma is like a father to her daughter. How can someone rape his own daughter? This does not make sense at all.”
The complainant’s mother, Beauty, who lives in Durban, refused to speak to the M&G.
On Monday, The Star newspaper reported that Zuma and his KwaZulu-Natal ally, Zweli Mkhize, had met with the complainant’s mother in Durban at the weekend in an apparent bid to defuse the allegations.
In a statement, Zuma’s attorney, Michael Hulley, did not specifically deny that this meeting took place, but said his client had done nothing to interfere with any investigation into the matter.