The Friends of Jacob Zuma trust fund has condemned the burning of pictures of his alleged rape victim by the African National Congress (ANC) deputy president’s supporters outside the court on Tuesday.
”The rule of law must be upheld. There are those masquerading as Zuma supporters. We must be aware of people who try to paint Zuma red,” trust chairperson Don Mkhwanazi told reporters.
He said the trust was against the infringement of other people’s rights.
There were more curious onlookers than Zuma supporters outside the Johannesburg High Court during Tuesday’s lunch interval.
Meanwhile, ”One-in-Nine” campaigners demonstrated the notion behind their campaign outside the court.
Nine women, of whom eight had cloths concealing their mouths, sang insulting songs.
”You play around with your penis now you have caused a problem,” they sang in Zulu.
Campaign spokesperson Dawn Cavanagh said the eight women represented rape victims who have not reported their sexual assault.
”These women live in fear, they are silent and live with the trauma,” she said.
Cavanagh said they encouraged rape victims to speak out.
Earlier on Tuesday a small group of Zuma supporters were burning A4 pages bearing the image of the 31-year-old HIV/Aids activist who laid a rape charge against him
The group, mainly women, accompanied their act with the words: ”Burn this bitch”.
Others in the crowd sang, ululated and blew whistles.
When one woman was asked where they got the pages with the woman’s image, she replied: ”From my work.”
The pages bore the woman’s name and surname, but she cannot be indentified because naming complainants in rape cases is prohibited by law.
Meanwhile, the sexual history of Zuma’s accuser may be discussed during cross-examination on Tuesday, the court ruled.
”The defence is given leave to cross-question the complainant about her past sexual history and to lead evidence in respect thereof.”
Zuma’s lawyers made the application in terms of Section 227 of the Criminal Procedure Act.
The Act bans an alleged rape victim’s sexual history from a trial, unless the judge grants permission.
Judge Willem van der Merwe said he was allowed to later rule that some evidence was irrelevant. – Sapa