South Africa: South Africa searches its soul

The bruising political row over the rape charge being investigated by police against former deputy president Jacob Zuma has become a barometer of where South Africa stands on gender violence as the Sixteen Days of Activism campaign gets under way. Never before has the campaign, that runs from 25 November- International Day of No Violence Against Women- to 10 December- Human Rights Day - been held in such a charged atmosphere. Leaving aside for a moment what did or did not happen in Zuma's Johannesburg home on 3 November – something we may indeed never know – the unfolding story rings many familiar bells, says this Gender Links commentary.