Suing the media a lucrative side line for Jacob Zuma?

[Dave A]

I don't have much idea how Jacob Zuma makes his money nowadays. But suing the media certainly seems to be emerging as one of his income streams.

African National Congress president Jacob Zuma is claiming R5-million from Rapport for defamation and crimen injuria, his spokesperson Liesl Gottert said on Thursday.

This latest claim comes just a day after he reached a R50 000 out-of-court settlement with the same paper for a previous defamation and crimen injuria claim.

On Thursday, Zuma said: "Freedom of speech is one of the cornerstones in our democracy. As an ordinary South African I have the right to take someone to task if I believe his comment about me was unfair and unbalanced."

In 2006, Zuma lodged defamation claims against the media to the sum of R63-million. He is suing media owners, publishers, editors, reporters, cartoonists and newspapers. One of the claims against a newspaper concerns "layout foul play".

Broadcaster 94.7 Highveld Stereo is being sued for R7-million for broadcasting a song called My Name Is Zuma, commenting on the Zuma rape trial. It was played by Darren "Whackhead" Simpson, a member of the radio station's Rude Awakening team.

His biggest claim against a single publication is one of altogether R20-million against the Star. This claim consists of four different claims of R5-million each, three of which are against award-winning cartoonist Zapiro. The fourth is for an article accompanied by a manipulated photograph of Zuma.

The Sunday Times, Citizen, Sunday Sun, Sunday Independent and Sunday World are all being sued.

Nearly all the items in which Zuma feels he was defamed are opinion pieces or cartoons.
full story from M&G here

[Dave A]

I see Jacob Zuma has reduced his claims against the media.

A host of defamation claims lodged by the African National Congress (ANC) president Jacob Zuma against several publications were on Friday slashed to "approximately R12-million", a spokesperson for Zuma said.

Liesl Göttert said: "Mr Jacob Zuma will instruct his media legal team today [Friday] to drop the defamation component of all media claims that he instituted against some media prior to the 52nd ANC conference in Polokwane last year with respect to news, articles, cartoons and opinions that were published prior to the conference.

"Mr Zuma will, however, proceed with claims that relate to the injury of his dignity in these matters."

This would amount to "approximately R12-million".

The claims had been structured in such a way that Zuma claimed for personal injury and for damage to his public image.

"He wants to give the media a break. The propaganda mounted against him by his detractors was not as successful as they had hoped.

"Obviously his image was not as damaged as he initially thought, because he won [in Polokwane]."

In a statement released by Göttert, Zuma is quoted as saying: "As a politician in a democracy, one's reputation is of paramount importance because one is not supported if one is not respected.

"It was important for me to make the relevant media understand that there are rules that have to be played by, even if it concerns politicians.

"Then, as time went by, it became clear that although certain people had probably been influenced negatively, the people who know me were not fooled by the propaganda against me. Polokwane proved that my impression was probably correct," he said.
full story from M&G here

Much of the recent headlines on JZ have been around his "charm offensive." Maybe this is the start of a charm offensive on the media.

[duncan drennan]

It was important for me to make the relevant media understand that there are rules that have to be played by, even if it concerns politicians.

This (and other things he has said) are very disturbing. The public along with the media are going to have to keep a keen eye on freedom of expression.

[Chatmaster]

He is definitely a loose canon. In a way I think that is why the ANC wanted to elect him so badly. They hope he will make a big change. Well he did already by disbanding the Scoprions. We all know why the ANC did this but for some reason there is no huge outcry about it!

[Dave A]

There has been something of an outcry about disbanding the Scorpions. It just seems ineffectual.

Until the ANC has meaningful opposition at the ballot box, they can do what they like with impunity.

[Chatmaster]

For as long as the ANC keep on reminding the nation about the past and the nation believes them there is no way that the scenario will change. Instead of attacking the ANC around every corner, a counter strategy of pointing out to the nation that the past is behind us will be much more effective I think. Pointing out every error they make in the way the opposition is doing it atm is simply making them stronger.

[Dave A]

The DA is trying to kick up some dust about disbanding the Scorpions.

The Scorpions are the country's last effective corruption-busting unit and disbanding them will affect the fight against organised crime, the Democratic Alliance (DA) said in Cape Town on Tuesday.

"Every time special units were integrated [into the police] it has impacted on the ability to fight crime in that area," said party spokesperson on justice Tertius Delport.

The DA was making its case for why the Scorpions should maintain their independence from the police.

He cited the old South African Railway Police, the family violence, child protection and sexual offences units and anti-poaching unit Operation Neptune as examples.

"The whole culture in the police is contrary to what we need to investigate high-level crime," he said.

The police had a "poor track record" on anti-corruption activities and were vulnerable to it from within.

The unit had a conviction rate of between 82% and 94%$ since 2002, he said, citing the National Prosecuting Authority's 2006/07 annual report. The number of people it had arrested went up from 66 in 2002 to 617 in 2006. It finalised 180 prosecutions in 2002, 214 in 2006.

Some of its successes included being the first in South Africa to convict financial directors of fraud and to notch up convictions for money laundering and racketeering.

The DSO had been involved in the fraud cases against Durban businessman Schabir Shaik and former ANC chief whip Tony Yengeni and had been responsible for arresting Glenn Agliotti following the murder of mining magnate Brett Kebble.

It was currently pursuing a corruption case against African National Congress (ANC) president Jacob Zuma.

"The track record of the police in general is simply bad.

"The reasons for disbanding are not based on facts and have not been advanced in order to combat crime or improve the combating of crime ... but [to] serve the interests of individuals in elite circles of the ANC."
full story from M&G here

Perhaps the Scorpions are a victim of their own success

[Chatmaster]

I have a very strong feeling this case will end up in the constitutional court. Personally, this to me borders an admission of guilt on JZ side. Why would you disband a successful unit if you didn't fear them?

[duncan drennan]

Perhaps the Scorpions are a victim of their own success

Is there anything that we (as individuals and a group) can do to help oppose the disbanding?

[Chatmaster]

As I understand some legal experts are of the opinion that it is unconstitutional for the ruling party to disband them. Others again disagree on this.

[RKS Computer Solutions]

It was currently pursuing a corruption case against African National Congress (ANC) president Jacob Zuma.

Something tells me that 1 + 1 = 2, anyone care to offer a different opinion?

[Dave A]

Well (laughs) perhaps we need to look up the definition of 1...

[RKS Computer Solutions]

ok

**THIS IS NOT A POLITICAL ONSLAUGHT AND IS MERELY MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS. THEY MIGHT BE INCORRECT AND THUS I HEREBY ACCEPT NO RESPONSIBILITY TOWARDS ANY CLAIM WHATSOEVER IN REGARDS TO THIS POST**

The Scorpions, the only effective corruption unit in SA, has been trying to get to JZ for a long time. The Scorpions don't play around with cases where they don't believe they have a decent case against a corporation and/or person.

JZ, becomes the president of the ANC, dropping law suites left and right because he now has the power to change things from goverment side, being the ANC head chief and all.

JZ also has been canvasing the courts to drag out his case with the Scorpions for as long as possible, maybe knowing that if he could get to where he wanted to be, that he could resolve it from the inside.

As soon as JZ becomes ANC president, word starts trickling down that the Scorpions needs to be disbanded and all authority taken away from them.

The Scorpions chief, in the heat of battle of the JZ case, get's arrested like the uber drug-lord that his oponents see him as, with 20 armed police officers in tow to make sure that his wife and kids don't kick the crap out of them.

Under heavy media scrutiny, the Scorpions chief is dragged to an unnamed location, charged with BS charges, and then let go, the courts deciding that they have p!ssed about long enough and can't keep him any longer.

O, and his powers to investigate anything pertaining to a certain JZ case is taken away, just in case he tries to do this country any good. Now that would be a shame.

I haven't counted, but would anyone care to count the number of days between JZ becoming ANC president and the Scorpions being dealt their final blow?

Although some parties have kicked up dust about the disbanding, the ruling party, of wich JZ is the president, couldn't give a crap about what their opponents say, because in order to keep certain information out of the media, one has to make some sacrifices.

That sacrifice just needs to be the only true Anti-Corruption unit of SA, but hey, we'll worry about crime and corruption later, someone just needs to keep their butts out of jail long enough to go run a country.

So, do we now have an understanding of the math? Let's break it down.

Scorpions case agains JZ + JZ becoming head of ruling party = Taking the sting out of the scorpions.

**THIS IS NOT A POLITICAL ONSLAUGHT AND IS MERELY MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS. THEY MIGHT BE INCORRECT AND THUS I HEREBY ACCEPT NO RESPONSIBILITY TOWARDS ANY CLAIM WHATSOEVER IN REGARDS TO THIS POST**

[Chatmaster]

ok

**THIS IS NOT A POLITICAL ONSLAUGHT AND IS MERELY MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS. THEY MIGHT BE INCORRECT AND THUS I HEREBY ACCEPT NO RESPONSIBILITY TOWARDS ANY CLAIM WHATSOEVER IN REGARDS TO THIS POST**

You afraid he might take you to court as well?

Seriously, this morning it came to light that he handed in a sworn affidavit that Thabo and team has a politcal onslaught against him and that is probably what the rest of his ANC supporters believe.

I agree with you Riaan. If you look at his actions throughout the time since the corruption charges first came to light AND the fact that Shabir Shaik was found guilty, he is in mind acting like a guilty criminal. Everything he does is exactly how a criminal would behave... make me think of thee mob movies...

I have no disclaimer and fortunately the forum has its own, I will wait for justice to take its course though, he will not be able to stop it from taking place imo, even if he disbands the scorpions, this will not go away.

[RKS Computer Solutions]

I agree, it won't go away, but the timing of things hampered the ivestigation and the implications of the disbandenment of the Scorpions means a delay in justice.