Sunday Times (Johannesburg) - April 9, 2006
Charles Molele, Moipone Malefane and Ndivhuho Mafela

The man, touted in some quarters as the future president of the country, appeared unfazed as he prepared to face the world to deny the rape charge against him.

Over the next four days, Zuma, a traditionalist at heart, endured hours of cross-examination and gave South Africa a glimpse into his bedroom and his mind.

Opting to testify in Zulu, on occasion correcting the court interpreter in his translation, Zuma made a litany of shocking and bizarre statements about why he had unprotected sex with an HIV-positive Aids activist at his home last year.

Maintaining his innocence, he denied raping the complainant and insisted he had consensual sex with her.

Zuma said the complainant had given him several signals that she wanted to have sex with him and, as a Zulu man, he had to oblige.

Below is a list of Zuma's responses to questions asked by the state prosecutor, Advocate Charin de Beer.

SHE HAD SENT HIM SIGNALS

• "The complainant expressed longing for me," Zuma told the court.

• When asked how she expressed this, he said: "She would say 'I miss you.' She ended her SMSs to me with words like love, hugs and kisses."

• "She normally came to me wearing pants, but on that day she had on a skirt and she was sitting in a way that was not usual. Under normal circumstances, if a woman is dressed in a skirt, she will sit properly with her legs together. But she [the complainant] crossed her legs and wouldn't even mind if the skirt was raised very much," he testified in response to why he got the impression that the woman had a sexual interest in him.

• "I realised that there is something she is after, and because she is lonely, she is of the opinion I may also help her in this regard," he told the court.

• "She took the initiative. When she noticed that I was hesitant she encouraged me," Zuma said.

• "If she had said no, I would have stopped there and got up and left," Zuma responded when asked why he had continued to have sex with the complainant when she was clearly not interested.

• De Beer further asked Zuma how he was able to tell there was sexual interest on her side. "It was by the way she talked and acted. The talking related to the conversation about boyfriends."

ZUMA ON HIV-AIDS:

• "On that day I perfectly knew my status. I knew for a fact that I was not infected and I know as of now I am not infected. There was no reason why she could think I was HIV-positive."

• "Negative," Zuma replied when asked about his HIV status now.

• "I had prior knowledge of the risk involved from the work I did with the South African National Aids Council. I knew the risk was minimal," Zuma said on why he took such an "irreversible risk of having unprotected sex with an HIV-positive person without a condom".

• "I had taken a decision at that time to continue - and I knew the risk that I was facing," Zuma's response to why a man who could be the future president of this country took that risk on November 2 last year.

• "Both of us wanted to have sex," Zuma said when asked why he had sex with the complainant without wearing a condom.

• "It [a shower] ... would minimise the risk of contracting the disease," he told court when asked what he did after having sex with the complainant.

ZUMA ON ZULU CULTURE:

• "I was taught that leaving a woman in that state [sexually aroused] was the worst thing a [Zulu] man can do.

"She could even have you arrested and charged with rape," said Zuma, adding this was done in accordance with what he had been taught as a youngster growing up in Nkandla, in northern KwaZulu-Natal.

• "Yes, if we had reached an agreement with that, I would have had my cows ready," said Zuma after De Beer asked if he would have married the complainant.

• "I accept that the learned [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 your home and you have to pay lobolo for her. You just have to do that without asking questions," said Zuma in response to De Beer's question on how he could have paid lobolo to somebody he was not in love with.

• "The lobolo is an issue between the girl, for instance, and the family.

"Should she have told these two ladies [Zuma's emissaries sent to strike a deal with the complainant] that 'Yes, I want him to pay lobolo', I would definitely do it," he said.

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