Compiled By Bate Felix
First published on the www.Journalism.co.za
Since the Jacob Zuma rape saga broke over the weekend, the media has been struggling to make sense of it. We present a compilation of the most important reports and comments.
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The Sunday Times broke the story with a front page lead: “Zuma Rape Claim”, The story said former Deputy President Jacob Zuma has been accused of raping a woman at his house in Forest Town, Johannesburg. They had spoken to the woman who was unwilling to confirm it. Quoting unnamed police sources, it said the police have allocated senior investigators to the claim, although there was no official confirmation.
Extraordinarily, Independent’s Sunday Independent and Sunday Tribune also led with the story – but said exactly the opposite. Under the headlines “Double Blow for Zuma” (Sunday Tribune) and “Double blow for Jacob Zuma hit by dirty tricks campaign” (Sunday Independent), Jeremy Gordin’s story quoted the woman – and named her – as denying the claim flatly. Members of the Zuma camp dismissed the allegations as a “dirty tricks campaign” against him. Significantly, although her name appears in the hard copy editions of the papers, the versions posted online have had the name removed.
Most online publications like News24, and M&G Online picked up quickly on the stories and tried to take them further, but could not get much further than to highlight the possibility of legal action being taken against the Sunday Times.
In “Zuma sex charge 'confusing'“, news24 reported that the Democratic Alliance had entered the fray, and was intending to ask parliamentary questions about the issue if the police failed to do so. The DA justice spokesperson Sheila Camerer quoted as saying “It is quite extraordinary that different newspapers carry totally different versions of events”
Still on Sunday, SABC News, and other online publications also reported that Zuma, through his lawyer was dismissing the allegations, while the ANC remains tightlipped.On Monday, the confusion persisted as SAPA looked at the various reports in the media, as this article picked up by M&G online, Iafrica and SABC News.com shows .
While the Sowetan was asking “What Rape?”, Beeld and Die Burger led Monday's newspapers with the headlines: "Rape storm rages around Zuma and Aids activist", with Beeld publishing a photo of the woman, with more information about her.
In a news analysis headlined "Fact and fiction amid innuendo and rumour", Business Day said that whether true or not, the claims would damage both the alleged victim and Zuma. The Daily Sun headlined: "Zuma to take legal action?" While Nova proclaimed: "No answers in Zuma rape claim".
Meanwhile, The Star in an article ‘I viewed Zuma as a father’ said the “woman again denies former deputy president raped her”.The article also said that she had refuted any claim that she had laid charges and she was on her way home to Swaziland, because her grandfather was ill, But 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.”
It was also reported on Monday that Zuma would be meeting with his lawyer to decide what to do about the rape claim.
Amid a growing storm, Cosatu and the SACP criticised the Sunday Times for running the story. Cosatu slammed the paper for publishing the story, saying they “smell a rat” in the whole affair.
But the Sunday Times issued a statement that it stood by the report. It said: "The Sunday Times is 100% certain that our story that there is a police investigation into a rape complaint against former deputy president Jacob Zuma is accurate."By Tuesday, however, the Independent titles were reporting categorically that a charge had been laid at the Johannesburg Sexual Offences Unit. The report said: “Impeccable sources have revealed that a complaint, the basis of a police investigation, has been registered at the Braamfontein-based unit. But the complaint was described by one source as "flimsy, riddled with contradictions and won't hold water,” according to the report.
The report also said that Zuma had met the mother of the victim as a damage control exercise and that the mother flew to Johannesburg to speak with her daughter. But it was later denied that this meeting ever took place.
Meanwhile the ANC said it was treating the whole thing as a rumour, according to the SABCNews.com web site.In a carefully argued editorial, Business Day argued that it was essential for the police to clarify whether a charge had been laid or not.
And Prof Anton Harber, of Wits University, argued in his "The Harbinger” column on this website that the real story about the claims were around the dirty war being fought by different factions in the ANC.
Should the story has been published? You can vote in our poll, and add your comments.Compiled by Bate Felix
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