Suing the media a lucrative side line for Jacob Zuma?

[Dave A]

Seriously, this morning it came to light that he handed in a sworn affidavit that Thabo and team has a politcal onslaught against him

Depending on when he made that affadavit, he might be right.

The whole Polokwane affair was more than enough evidence that Thabo did not want JZ to be State President - and that has quite likely been true for a little while now. However, I'd guess that only became a conscious decision quite some time after the worms started crawling out of the can. After all, Thabo has also been noted for his stubborn loyalty in the face of some pretty damning evidence too.

[Dave A]

Here we go again!

African National Congress (ANC) president Jacob Zuma is suing Jonathan Shapiro, the Sunday Times and its holding company for R7-million over a controversial cartoon published earlier this year, the Times reported on Thursday.

In the cartoon, Shapiro, who uses the pen name Zapiro, portrayed Zuma unbuckling his belt as he prepares to rape the figurative Lady Justice.

She is held down by Zuma allies Julius Malema, Gwede Mantashe, Blade Nzimande and Zwelinzima Vavi.

Mantashe eggs Zuma on: "Go for it, boss!"

While Zuma's allies claimed the cartoon was intended to project the ANC president as a rapist -- even though Zuma was acquitted of rape in 2006 -- Shapiro said the central meaning of the cartoon was "incredibly clear".

"It showed Jacob Zuma, with the help of his political allies, threatening and intimidating the judiciary to try to manipulate the courts for him to be exonerated and escape going on trial [for corruption], thus paving the way for Zuma to become president," said Shapiro.

He said he used Lady Justice to represent the South African judicial system, adding that the figure is recognised as a symbol of justice the world over.

In the letter of demand served on Shapiro, Zuma threatens to take the award-winning cartoonist to court if he does not pay him R7-million within 14 days.

"The publication of the aforesaid cartoon has injured our client in his dignity and reputation and as a result thereof he has suffered damages in the amount of R7-million," reads the letter.

It was served on Shapiro on Wednesday, but is dated September 15, a week after the cartoon appeared.

The R7-million claim consists of R5-million for alleged damage to Zuma's reputation and R2-million for alleged damage to his dignity
full story from M&G here

[Dave A]

And again...

African National Congress (ANC) leader Jacob Zuma is suing the Guardian for defamation over an article published last month that described his leadership style as "morally contaminated".

He is demanding an apology and damages from the respected British daily, his legal representatives in London, Schillings Laywers, said in a statement on Monday.

It did not specify the sum Zuma is seeking over the article by Simon Jenkins, which ran under the headline "Get used to a corrupt and chaotic South Africa. But don't write it off."

Shillings Lawyers said the article has been removed from the Guardian's website.

It had warned that those "dealing with South Africa must probably get used to Zuma's style of government -- morally contaminated, administratively chaotic and corrupt", and quoted an unnamed friend of the author describing Zuma as "a criminal and a rapist".
full story from M&G here

[twinscythe12332]

he has learnt something new, and is doing it over and over again. as luck has it, it seems at least a few people are fighting back and saying they won't go quietly.

[insulin]

RKS Computer Solutions > First of shame one you! Everyone knows that 1+1=3 see the math is; 1 is less then 2 Thus 1.4 is still 1... now you have 1.4 + 1.4 = 2.8 rounded of 2.8 is 3 how cool is that!

Anyway JZ is out on a witch-hunt and is getting paid for it. I find his actions might even cripple our media system and one cannot help but wonder if that is not the intention? Now I fear that we might be seeing government controlled media soon. Zimbabwe style control even. Let us not forget that JZ himself said couple of things that can be considered distasteful in the public’s eye. Perhaps his speeches must be re printed by the Media to refresh the country’s memory???

[IanF]

Guys
Lets say JZ is right. He was found not guilty on the rape charge yet the "media" call him a rapist. His fraud and corruption charges have been dropped so he can not be said to be a fraudster. The circumstances surrounding this is what should be questioned. When he was asked about the money he got from Shaik after being pushed he said it was a loan.

Now JZ comes out smelling like roses except for his admission to a "loan" from Shaik. He is right to defend himself being called a rapist and fraudster or bribee as this has not yet been proven in court. There are no charges outstanding against him.

What needs to be questioned is his forked tongue saying he wants his day in court then doing the opposite delaying this until what looks like a "political deal" is done to get him off. What I admire is the way to get himself cleared he toppled a sitting President. That is determination, and we need lots of that in this country.

My thoughts are JZ will be a better president than Mbeki and I hope he listens to reason and not ideology as we need a very pragmatic approach now to sort out our problems. Will I vote for him? No we need a strong opposition as a check and balance.

[garthu]

Wow Ian, interesting view point and with credit - defending himself is a must for his position and credibility and correctly so in the rape issue.

However (now then couldn't let it go that easy ), its exactly the comments like "let me have my day in court". From all heard, there is little doubt that the day in court had to be avoided at pretty much all costs.. Now thats the bit that worries me... at all costs. I have no doubt that if any one of use were to really get in his way as president, it wouldn't be much to be "wiped" out for them. Mbeki may not have been as strong, but i think in words only (sure thats a huge debate), JZ is stronger in what he is prepared to do to get there and stay - anything - kind of like another leader in the region, Bob??

I think in ethics, Mbeki would have been a better person (he stepped down when told to, Bob/JZ wouldn't have, they just change the law), I really don't think JZ has any ethics or moral and this is a man that would frighten me as a leader. He distinctly reminds me of Bob

[Dave A]

Anyway JZ is out on a witch-hunt and is getting paid for it. I find his actions might even cripple our media system and one cannot help but wonder if that is not the intention? Now I fear that we might be seeing government controlled media soon. Zimbabwe style control even.

If you really want to get nervous, a free media might be the least of our concerns. How about if we lose our constitutional democracy?

[IanF]

Garth
I just wonder what we miss about JZ that his followers see. Mbeki did try at one stage to change the constitution to a 3 term maximum. In the end he stepped down as the ANC was not supporting him. I just could not fathom his thinking on AIDS, Electricity and Zimbabwe, he came across to me an intellectual bully who took more from browbeating someone rather than using a rational argument. JZ seems to listen but on whose advice he actually acts on is the key mystery.

I hope he isn't going to say one thing and do the other like saying he wants his day in court. I just feel he will be easier to read and will push through change, just hope it is for the development of the country rather than the black BEE elite.

My daughter has a friend at Wits trying to study medicine and she couldn't get in. But a coloured guy with lower marks than her from the same school got in. She then found out that the policy is colour trumps aptitude. It has got so that Indians are treated the same way as whites for this now. The point is these stupid policies being blindly enforced are going to cause us to become just another African country. JZ does seem to listen to concerns like this so to me the key will be what he does. It looks like he will be more pragmatic but time will tell.

Whether he becomes another mad bob I hope not. My take it looks like the people will choose him lets look for the positive from this.

[garthu]

Hmmm.. hear you and agree. There are people that see something in him ( i havnt understood what yet). Quite right on the Mbeki side as well, trying to change the constitution, bad move amongst others ( as ex zim, i never appreciated how that all went down).

Then again suddenly what leaps in to mind is could he predict the next leader and decided 3 terms were better than the new leader??? Not opinion there, just a thought..

One great thing about politics, it cannot bore the mind when you start thinking and seeing opinion... it can get really deep, confusing, creative.. challenges the mind... but its about all i enjoy about it

[garthu]

But now you see, having read Daves link to our democracy, that really scares me. Theres just nothing good to be said there and it's not just about a "likeable" person, it's that there are a huge amount of people that are very afraid of the power that is going to be yielded by a man that makes statements that he does!

like your opinion Ian (its got ground), but just cant go with it.. (personal opinion only)

[insulin]

I don’t know... The fact is innocent till proven guilty. However one must take into consideration how his innocence was proclaimed.

[IanF]

OK
Now I am worried Dave Bullard almost agrees with me. Moneyweb article. His complete flip flop on this is amazing, but if he was writing articles and opinions without checking the facts properly that explains the about turn.

[twinscythe12332]

I honestly don't care who gets into the presidency, as long as I am free to live my life, and the country is bettered. an example of a complete f**k up is the road names being changed. it has cost millions, quite possibly gone into billions to change the names of roads for no reason. if there was a road with a racist term on it, I may understand then, but this isn't helping the country MOVE FORWARD, this is bringing it back to the past.
when a leg breaks, there is only so long you can go around crying about how sore it is before people start calling your bull. the same goes with the "inequalities of our past."
from 1994 to now is 15 years. in that time, that's my primary school, high school and tertiary education as well as me starting to work. The gap has closed for those who have made the effort. The rest cry about their "broken leg" and carry on.

if JZ is going to change the country FOR THE BETTER, I don't really care about the charges against him. if he isn't... it's not new.


yoh! the comments on that article are hectic.

[insulin]

That is what you get when you predicate based only on conjecture. See JZ is a victim we must give him that. However nothing happens without a reason. Perhaps all of this was a clever plot do discredit a politician and rob him from his presidency.

My question remain; where is the facts? Is what we accept as fact really just public opinion? See innocence till proven guilty specify that prove must come from a reliable source. Now since everything including the facts disappeared overnight we have to say that JZ was a victim.

However the timeline itself and the circumstances surrounding JZ, the public must say: If JZ is innocent then give JZ a day in court to prove his innocence so that his credibility remains untarnished, and so that the public can know and see the prove.

All we see now is that JZ wants to take the media to court. Then Why not go to court with his case in hand and give him the change to represent his innocence.

But now JZ accepted that charges were dropped against him and he left it at that... Why not go to court and proclaim his innocence? So why didn’t he?

That is the stigma that remains.