delete

South African president Jacob Zuma asks $700,000 for defamation


Jacob Zuma has been charged of rape in 2008 and it seems this is still following him nowadays. Right after the accusation, Times newspaper created a cartoon with the president preparing to rape a woman that symbolized justice and now South African president is asking for justice – he has filled a defamation suit in which he asks for $700,000.

A lawyer of the Sunday Times said until now Mr. Jacob Zuma has not threatened with a sue and this is quite unexpected while it was launched in the same time with the discussions regarding media freedom. Zuma’s party has secretly proposed a low that gives the freedom of imprisoning reporters for sharing classified information. Moreover, according to the law proposed by African National Congress party, they would like to create a media tribunal, ruled by politicians with unlimited powers for punishing journalists.

On the other hand, Jonathan Shapiro, the cartoonist that created this scandal and also one of the best South African political cartoonists said this sue will only create more buzz about what happened in 2008 and the one that will suffer will be Zuma as well while the rumors said he tried to intimidate authorities 2 years ago when the accusation was released. It seems that the African National Congress party was involved in a massive protest for the charges to be dropped and the prosecutors somehow dropped them.

A formal complaint was filed back in 2008 but the commission decided that the cartoon stays under the radar and does complain to Zuma’s constitutional rights to dignity, though i twas offensive and distasteful, according to journalists.

Jacob Zuma is asking for $570,000 for humiliation and degradation and $140,000 for damage to his reputation. In the same time, Jonathan Shapiro says the case is almost a victory, both for him and for freedom of speech.

delete

Man arrested after probably killed his wife in South Africa

South African authorities arrested Shrien Dewani, a 31-year-old man from Bristol UK, under suspicion of conspiring to murder his wifeon honeymoon. Anny Dewany, 28-year-old from Sweden has been kidnapped from a taxi last month and found shot to death and according to the taxi driver, Mr. Zola Congo, it seems that Shrien Dewani offered him £1,400 to kill Anny.

Mr Dewani will appear before the City of Westminster magistrats later and his family already considers these acusations totally absurd. After South Africa prosecutor release an extradition request, Scotland Yard caught Mr Dewany and will held him until they receive full documentation for extradition.

Max Clifford, his spokesperson said that Dewani had surrended at a police station in Bristol and he is cooperating with the authorities in order to prove that he is innocent. He says he was not involved in his wife’s murder. Taxi driver received 18 years in jail for murder, kidnapping and robbery but he would have received more years if he had not agreed to a plea bargain. Furthermore, 23 year-old Xolile Mnguni and 25 year-old Mziwamadoda Qwabe were charged for murder, kidnapping and robbery.

Anny Dewany was kidnapped near Cape Town in her honeymoon and after she was found dead, he husband returned to UK saying it has nothing to do with his wife’s murder. However, after Tuesday’s testimony from the taxi driver, a warrant for Mr Dewani was released and forwarded to UK autorithies and it is to be expected how the process will take its course, what other relevant witnesses may appear in the future but one thing is sure, according to Sally de Beer, brigadier at South African Police Service – the justice will take its course in this matter and truth will be revealed.