South Africa: Jacob Zuma trial
Written bySokari Ekine
African Shirts writes on Jacob Zuma's testimony during the rape trial in South Africa in which he claims he took a shower after having unprotected sex with an HIV postive woman. African Shirts comments “it is this kind of ignorance which perpetuates the spread of HIV. People raping infants in SA, because of local lore that sex with a virgin cures HIV. Or even some belief among men that they're immune from the virus. The Catholic Church preventing the use of contraception doesn't help either. The spread of HIV should not be as fast as it is today.”
Written bySokari Ekine
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The outcome of this trial is disappointing yet sadly predictable. Zumas ignorance otweighs any issues i have with his guilt. For me there were far more alarming issues raised during the media circus of his trial. As a South African living overseas, I was horrified by the Zuma supporters ‘bussed-in’ from Kwa Zulu Natal chanting slogans of hate and violence towards the ‘victim’. The ‘victim’ is in inverted commas as one would never have guessed she indeed was! It seems some things in Africa don’t die hard and violence with good-old fashion intimidation is still the communication tool of choice. In a country with petrifying rape statisitics, minimal convictions and the rampant spread of AIDS the last thing we need is a buffoon of an ex deputy president soiling the country’s progress with his moronic antics. Whilst Zuma crawling into a dark hole, cowering from the media limelight until his pending corruption charges requires him to surface would be the next best outcome; I fear this to be far too optimistic. Instead, the international embarassment will continue as SA’s leaders rally on about how serious they are about AIDS, how serious they are about women’s rights(wasn’t Mbeki talking of a female successor today)and tackling rape and oh yes, how about some foreign investment then? It seems the very adult lesson of bullying and intimidation not beng the means ot an end may be a lesson learned too late by the likes of our disgraced ex deputy.