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Zuma sues newspaper over rape cartoon
Source: Agencies |
December 15, 2010, Wednesday
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SOUTH Africa's president has filed a US$700,000 defamation suit over a cartoon depicting him with his pants undone, preparing to rape a blindfolded, female figure symbolizing justice, a lawyer said yesterday.
Eric van der Berg, a lawyer for the Sunday Times, said notice from the president's lawyers had arrived at the paper's Johannesburg offices on Monday.
The cartoon caused a storm when the Times published it in 2008, two years after Jacob Zuma had been acquitted of rape charges. But van der Berg said Zuma had not followed up on threats to sue until now.
Zuma is claiming 4 million rand (about US$570,000) for humiliation and degradation and 1 million rand for damage to his reputation. His spokesman, Zizi Kodwa, refused to comment yesterday.
Jonathan Shapiro, who signs his work Zapiro and is among the country's best known political cartoonists, said he stood behind his cartoon and the view he was expressing.
"I will not allow the president to intimidate me," Shapiro told the daily Times, sister paper to the Sunday Times.
The cartoon appeared as Zuma's party led a protest campaign to have corruption charges dropped against him. At the time he was preparing to lead his African National Congress in general elections. Prosecutors dropped the charges on election-eve, and Zuma took office in 2009.
Eric van der Berg, a lawyer for the Sunday Times, said notice from the president's lawyers had arrived at the paper's Johannesburg offices on Monday.
The cartoon caused a storm when the Times published it in 2008, two years after Jacob Zuma had been acquitted of rape charges. But van der Berg said Zuma had not followed up on threats to sue until now.
Zuma is claiming 4 million rand (about US$570,000) for humiliation and degradation and 1 million rand for damage to his reputation. His spokesman, Zizi Kodwa, refused to comment yesterday.
Jonathan Shapiro, who signs his work Zapiro and is among the country's best known political cartoonists, said he stood behind his cartoon and the view he was expressing.
"I will not allow the president to intimidate me," Shapiro told the daily Times, sister paper to the Sunday Times.
The cartoon appeared as Zuma's party led a protest campaign to have corruption charges dropped against him. At the time he was preparing to lead his African National Congress in general elections. Prosecutors dropped the charges on election-eve, and Zuma took office in 2009.
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