POWA press statement

People Opposing Women Abuse (POWA) is disappointed but not surprised by today’s (February 14) postponement of the rape trial involving former deputy president Jacob Zuma. Applying for recusals of judges and postponements are common delay tactics employed by defence teams during rape trials. POWA is cognisant of the fact that the State did not oppose the application for a postponement and hopes that this postponement serves the interests of the state’s case. From POWA’s experience in dealing with other rape cases, we know that delays to the court process often have a negative impact on survivors’ emotional well-being. Some survivors will interpret the postponements and delays as a sign of the criminal justice system favouring the accused.

The general public and specifically the Zuma supporters are likely to interpret the recusal of Judge Ngoepe yesterday and the postponement of the case today as victories. This will be despite the fact that
substance of the rape case is yet to even be put before the court. POWA will continue to monitor this case closely to ensure that there will be no further postponements as agreed to by the defence.

POWA renews our call to the media to report on this with sensitivity and fairness. Certain media appears to be falling into the trap of placing the survivor on trial. Other media are going as far as publishing pictures of the survivor. We remind the media that revealing details of a complainant in a rape case that may lead to her identification without her consent is not permitted under the law.

We further note with concern the way in which the survivor is being made to enter the court through the public entrance with seemingly little protection. This has meant that she must pass media and any
public that may be gathering outside the court. We feel that this seriously jeopardises her safety. A report yesterday that Zuma supporters stoned a woman wearing similar clothing to that of the survivor indicates the need for increased security of the survivor and for protecting her identity. We have not seen Zuma enter the court through the public entrance and wonder why he has been accorded this
benefit while the survivor whose safety is at risk is not.

POWA remains steadfast in our solidarity with the survivor in this case and in other cases of sexual violence. We will be present outside and inside the court once the case resumes. Despite some of the
tactics of the Zuma supporters, we shall not be intimidated, threatened or silenced.

Written for POWA by: Carrie Shelver,
Training and Public Awareness Manager
011 642 4345
083 628 6996
[email protected]
http://www.powa.co.za