'I would have had my cows ready'
2006-04-05 13:38
Johannesburg - Jacob Zuma would have had his cows ready if his rape accuser had agreed to marry him, the Johannesburg High Court heard on Wednesday.
However, the former deputy president denied having any part in marriage negotiations, saying this was done by the woman's two "aunts".
"Yes, if we had reached an agreement with that, I would have had my cows ready," Zuma told the court.
He continued: "Lobola is an issue between the girl, for instance, and the family. Should she have told these two ladies that 'Yes, I want Zuma to pay lobola' I would definitely do it."
The 31-year-old woman alleges that Zuma raped her at his Johannesburg home on November 2 last year.
Zuma claims they had consensual sex after she sent out "certain signals".
He is being cross-examined on this.
He testified that in terms of Zulu culture it was not unusual for an offer of marriage to be made by a woman that a man did not know, or had not had a love relationship with.
"I accept that learned counsel (state prosecutor Charin de Beer) might not know Zulu custom and traditions... and it happens in our custom, even if you don't know a girl... she can be dropped off at home and here she is and you have to pay lobola for her... you just have to do that."
He told the court that the woman's "aunts" said they felt there was a love relationship and that they had asked her what she would do regarding lobola negotiations.
They said she had been "very active" in the discussion but they reached no conclusion.
"No, they didn't bring me an offer," Zuma testified.
He did not know how many cows had been negotiated for.
He denied having any part in attempts at mediation between himself and the complainant over the charge, saying that actions by the "aunts" and by KwaZulu-Natal MEC Zweli Mkhize were not done on his request.
In the days immediately following the alleged rape, he did not phone the complainant because he was waiting for her to make contact with him.
On November 9, Zuma tried several times to phone the complainant. She answered the ninth time he phoned.
De Beer told Zuma it appeared from the amount of calls that he was quite desperate to get hold of the woman.
He agreed, explaining that he wanted to speak to the woman in front of her mother to give his side of the story. He didn't want to pursuade her to drop the charge but remind her of the truth of what had happened.
De Beer put it to Zuma that the reason he wanted to contact the woman on that day was because he had heard that the police were in KwaZulu-Natal wanting a meeting with him.
He denied this, telling the court the meeting he would have held with the woman, would have been after the one with the police.
The trial continues.
- SAPA