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Zuma: Who DIDN'T testify
19/04/2006 23:02 - (SA)
Katrien Smit and Lucia Swart, Beeld
Johannesburg - After allegations that a political conspiracy led to the rape charge against former deputy president Jacob Zuma, his defence closed its case without calling anyone to testify to this.
Sixteen witnesses testified for the defence and of these, only Zuma and his daughter, Duduzile, spoke about the night of the alleged rape.
Forensic psychologist Dr Louise Olivier, You magazine's agony aunt, gave her opinion about the testimony and behaviour of Zuma's accuser during the alleged rape.
The other 13 witnesses all came from the woman's past and told of her apparent accusations of rape and of attempted rape.
Advocate Kemp J Kemp for Zuma asked nearly every witness for the State if they knew of pro- and anti-Zuma political camps and in which of these camps they fell.
He asked Zuma's accuser if she thought of politics when she laid the charge.
The ones not called...
Kemp did not call any witnesses to testify about a possible political conspiracy, even though the names of Intelligence Minister Ronnie Kasrils and KwaZulu-Natal finance MEC Zweli Mkhize emerged regularly during the trial.
The defence did not call the following people, even though they might have been able to shed light on the events surrounding the alleged rape:
Michael Hulley, Zuma's lawyer, who was always at his client's side after the charge had been laid.
He was present when Zuma's first statement was given to the police and during the alleged pointing-out of rooms at Zuma's house in Johannesburg.
He handled media inquiries and initially said nothing happened between Zuma and the woman, but said later they had had consensual sex.
Zweli Mkhize: one of Zuma's friends for many years, whom Zuma contacted shortly after the alleged rape.
The State alleged Zuma asked Mkhize to negotiate with the woman and her mother to drop the charge, but Zuma denied this.
There was no contact between Mkhize and the mother before the alleged rape, but in the three weeks after it, 49 calls were made between them.
Ronnie Kasrils: Zuma's accuser phoned him before she laid the charge. He said in a statement he did not know why she had phoned him.
She said she was worried about her safety and thought he could help her.
Zuma said in his testimony he suspected Kasrils was not in his political camp.
Police photographer: the only person, apart from two policemen, Zuma and Hulley, who was present during the alleged pointing-out in Zuma's house in Johannesburg.
The policemen said Zuma pointed out the guest bedroom as the "scene of the crime" and said nothing had happened in his bedroom.
Hulley and Zuma said the police never asked these questions and pointings-out were not done.
"Jane" and "Somkela": these two "aunties" were in exile with Zuma and the complainant's family and were the first people Zuma sent to speak to his accuser and her mother.
The State approached "Jane" to appear as a witness, but she refused.
- Beeld
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