Zuma: I erred on condom issue

2006-05-09 11:14

Johannesburg - Former deputy president Jacob Zuma apologised to the nation on Tuesday for having unprotected sex with an HIV-positive woman, a day after he was acquitted of rape.

"I should have been more cautious and more responsible," said Zuma in an interview to SABC radio.

"I erred on this issue and on this, I apologise."

"The war against Aids, I'll stand for it and our fight will continue and I will continue to preach, even using my example that we need to fight HIV and Aids because it is a dangerous thing."

Zuma was cleared on the charge of raping the woman in a verdict rendered on Monday, but the judge admonished the former deputy president for having unprotected sex.

"It is inexcusable that the accused did so," said Judge Willem van der Merwe as he wrapped up his six-hour judgment in the trial, the most sensational of the post-apartheid era.

"It is totally unacceptable that a man should have unprotected sex with a person other than his regular partner and definitely not with a person who, to his knowledge, is HIV-positive," he said.

The harsh words from the judge were in line with the criticism that Aids activists had directed at the former number two, who was one of the government's leading officials on Aids policy.

Zuma headed the National Aids Council which advocated the use of condoms in its campaign to fight the pandemic that affects one in seven adults in South Africa, one of the biggest caseloads in the world.

Zuma told the SABC he would resume his duties as ANC deputy president.

"The case is over and therefore I'm back. I took a decision (to step down temporarily), which was accepted by the ANC for the duration of the case."

The complete Zuma verdict

- AFP