Media exploiting love-child - Zuma

2010-02-03 21:14

Johannesburg - President Jacob Zuma on Wednesday acknowledged that he had a relationship with Sonono Khoza, the daughter of soccer boss Irvin Khoza, and that they have baby girl.

"I said during World Aids Day that we must all take personal responsibility for our actions. I have done so.

"I have done the necessary cultural imperatives in a situation of this nature, for example the formal acknowledgement of paternity and responsibility, including the payment of inhlawulo to the family," Zuma said in a statement issued on his behalf by the presidency.

"The matter is now between the two of us, and culturally, between the Zuma and Khoza families."

The Sunday Times reported that the child was born on October 8, three months before Zuma - a polygamist -  married for a fifth time. The girl was reportedly his 20th child.

According to the Sunday Times, a delegation acting on Zuma's behalf visited the Khoza family in December to discuss the Zulu customary damages, inhlawulo, paid when a child is born out of wedlock.

The Times reported on Wednesday it had evidence suggesting that Zuma and Khoza were already married according to customary law.

In his statement on Wednesday, Zuma bemoaned the naming of the child's parents in public, which had "essentially exposed her to the public".

Exploitation

This had serious implications in the long-term for her and amounted to the exploitation referred to in child protection legislation, "because the media is making money out of the matter".

He described it as "unfortunate" that the individuals involved were being "unfairly subjected to harsh media exposure merely because of the position" he occupied.

"The media is also in essence questioning the right of the child to exist and fundamentally, her right to life. It is unfortunate that the matter has been handled in this way," he said.

Zuma said the rights of the media were respected and upheld, but his own rights and that of the child and its mother were also to be respected.

"These rights cannot be waived just because of a position one occupies. I would request that the dignity and privacy of the affected individuals in this matter be respected."

Zuma was out of the country when the news of the child broke, but after "careful deliberation" opted to comment on the "otherwise intensely personal" matter.

HIV/Aids

He has labelled as "mischievous" Democratic Alliance leader Helen Zille accusation that he has damaged the struggle against HIV/Aids.

In 2006, Zuma was acquitted of raping the HIV-infected daughter of a close family friend.

Judge Willem van der Merwe found that Zuma had consensual sex with her.

"I wish to state categorically and place on record that I erred in having unprotected sex. I should have known better and I should have acted with greater caution and responsibility," Zuma said after his acquittal.

However, Zille said on Sunday that this acknowledgement "has faded from his memory, and he has once again succeeded in sending the wrong message to the South African people".

She has since urged him to apologise and behave.

"... We will intensify our efforts to promote prevention, treatment, research and the fight against the stigma attached to the epidemic," Zuma said.

"We will also continue with our campaign to ensure that every South African knows their HIV status and that all those who need it have access to appropriate treatment."

Private life

Zuma's lovelife has been a hot topic of discussion on social networking sites such as facebook and twitter.

While critics have denounced his sexual liaisons as a disgrace, supporters have argued that his private life ought to remain private.

The ANC has stood firmly by him, maintaining that he has done nothing wrong and ANC Youth League president Julius Malema has said it would be "disrespectful" to even discuss the matter.

"We are Africans and sitting here all of us, Zuma is our father so we are not qualified to talk about that," he said in response to questions about the baby.

Analysts, however, believe the public had a right to an answer.

"I think it's sufficiently of public interest to warrant media attention, because rightly or wrongly his private life has become a matter of public discussion," said University of the Witwatersrand media ethics professor Franz Kruger.

- SAPA