/ 23 November 2008

ANC lashes out at Cope ‘hate speech’

The African National Congress on Saturday said it was dismayed and deeply concerned about allegedly ”inflammatory and defamatory” remarks made by Congress of the People (Cope).

Cope youth leader Anele Mda at a Mthatha meeting on Friday called African National Congress president Jacob Zuma ”a rapist” and said that if the ANC was re-elected into government under ”President Zuma”, ”rape would no longer be a criminal offence”.

At the same meeting, Willie Madisha — another Cope official — reportedly called Zuma ”SA’s Stalin”.

He said when ”President Zuma” visited the United Nations, people would say ”here comes the rapist”.

ANC spokesperson Carl Niehaus said on Saturday: ”This is nothing else but hate speech of the worst kind. It is also totally devoid of any respect for the law, and it’s most basic principle that every person has the right to a fair trial.”

Niehaus labelled the rape statements as outrageous because Zuma had been cleared of rape charges.

Zuma was acquitted on a charge of raping a 31-year-old HIV-positive woman by the Johannesburg High Court in May 2006.

Niehaus said the remarks further intensified the persecution of Zuma through abuse of the law for political expediency.

”This is totally unacceptable and very serious for the independence of the judiciary. We appeal to those who wax lyrical about respect for the Constitution and the rule of law to practice what they preach and to cease making statements that undermine these important principles.”

Cope was established by former defence minister and ANC chairperson Mosiuoa Lekota, his former deputy Mluleki George and former Gauteng premier Mbhazima Shilowa. – Sapa