Malema at equality court
2009-07-09 10:39
Johannesburg - ANC Youth League president Julius Malema made a quiet entrance ahead of his hearing in the Johannesburg Equality Court on Thursday.
With the room already packed with reporters, he walked in, sat down and began chatting to his lawyer.
Outside protesters waved placards urging: "ANC, we count on you to uphold the Constitution".
Gender advocacy group Sonke Gender Justice had laid a complaint alleging that Malema had undermined women's dignity with his comments.
In January this year, Malema reportedly told students at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology that President Jacob Zuma's rape accuser would not have stayed for breakfast if she had not enjoyed the sex.
"Those who had a nice time will wait until the sun comes out, request breakfast and ask for taxi money. In the morning, that lady requested breakfast and taxi money," Malema reportedly said.
Zuma was acquitted of the rape charge in May 2006.
Sonke would argue before the court that the statement perpetuated rape myths and stereotypes.
These had an effect of perpetuating sick acts of sexual violence against women and the under-reporting of sexual violence, Sonke believed.
Some of the other posters read, "No jokes about rape victims" and "Real men don't abuse women".
- SAPA