Zuma: She wanted sex with me
2006-04-04 16:08
Johannesburg - Jacob Zuma believed the woman who has accused him of rape was sending him sexual signals, but denied that he set her up in his guest room to test them, the Johannesburg High Court heard on Tuesday.
According to the former deputy president, she had never visited him wearing a skirt before.
On the night of November 2, when he is alleged to have raped her, she arrived wearing a knee-length skirt.
"She had never in the past come to my house dressed in a skirt. Including times when I was living in Pretoria.
"When she came to me in a skirt after those talks I referred to earlier on, well, it told me something," he said.
The court had heard that the two discussed her lack of a boyfriend and that he had advised her to find someone to "comfort her" and not let her HIV-positive status deter her from doing this.
Didn't sit 'properly'
He said that while sitting in a lounge, she did not sit properly in her skirt.
"Under normal circumstances, if a woman is dressed in a skirt, she will sit properly with her legs together.
But she would cross her legs and wouldn't even mind if the skirt was raised very much."
Prosecutor Charin de Beer then asked him what he thought she was up to.
He replied: "I realised, well, there is something she is after, because of these things.
"Maybe she is trying to send a certain message to me by these actions."
De Beer asked what type of message he got.
"Maybe because she is lonely, she is of the opinion I may also help her in this regard."
'Wanted sex'
He believed the signs were there that she wanted to have sex with him.
He denied saying that he would tuck her in or putting her in the guest room for the night to make sure she was alone.
The trial was adjourned to Wednesday.
When Zuma left the court a group of women gathered around him in a corridor and started ululating and stamping their feet.
Zuma appeared calm throughout the day.
He at times smiled and laughed at some of the questions put to him by De Beer.
- SAPA