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What the 2006 Rape Trial of Jacob Zuma still teaches us about rape (Part 1)

In 2006, South Africans watched as a deeply disturbing chapter in the country's history unfolded before their eyes. A politician, whom they had adored and...

fentse_writes 8 min read · 1 day ago

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In 2006, South Africans watched as a deeply disturbing chapter in the country's history unfolded before their eyes. A politician, whom they had adored and worshipped, was accused of rape. The trial took place in 2006, running from March to May of that year while the incident and the formal charges were laid in 2005.

The complainant Fezekile Ntsukela Kuzwayo was given the pseudonym "Khwezi" during the trial to protect her identity and safety amid public hostility. Her supporters ranged from local and international feminist groups, human rights organizations and the One in Nine Campaign among many. These were people and groups that were actively opposing the Zuma supporters who had harassed and tormented Khwezi.

While the intention of my writing is not to go into every single detail of the trial as published on the SAFLII website, I use selected parts of the proceedings to examine what the trial reveals about rape, who is deemed "rapable," as explored by Pumla Dineo Gqola in Rape: A South African Nightmare, and how these ideas continue to manifest in contemporary South Africa.

What The 2006 Rape Trial Of Jacob Zuma Still Teaches Us About Rape Part 1

Who was Khwezi?

Khwezi's world is one "where fathers protect and don't rape, where women can speak out without fear for their safety, and where no one, but no one is above the law..." - An excerpt from I am Khanga Poem by Fezekile Ntsukela Kuzwayo