Why Zuma dropped Zapiro charges

daveza

daveza

Honorary Master
Joined
Apr 5, 2004
Messages
49,866
Reaction score
21,624
Location
Durbanville, Cape Town
http://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/why-zuma-dropped-zapiro-charges-1.1412534#.UI1T3MXMisY

President Jacob Zuma withdrew his claim for damages against cartoonist “Zapiro” to avoid setting a legal precedent, the presidency said on Sunday.

“The president... would like to avoid setting a legal precedent that may have the effect of limiting the public exercise of free speech, with the unforeseen consequences this may have on our media, public commentators and citizens,” his spokesman Mac Maharaj said in a statement on Sunday.

He said Zuma had decided to withdraw his claim, made in December 2008, against Jonathan “Zapiro” Shapiro and Avusa Media, the publishers of The Sunday Times, and the newspaper's editor at the time Mondli Makhanya “after careful consideration and consultation with his legal team”.

He had also decided to make a contribution to their costs.

“It is the president's view that a legal battle against individuals and institutions will be an unnecessary diversion,” said Maharaj.

Zuma would rather encourage the people he was taking action against to become partners in efforts to address the problems facing the country, and to get South Africans to reach out to each other across historical divides to forge a common nationhood, “putting the country first.”
Click to expand...

Mr Zuma -

You reduce the claim from 5 million to R100,000 a few days before Zapiro defends himself, then when you realise you are going to lose you suddenly become the nice guy, one for all and all for one ?

Just how fsking stupid do you think we are !

I don't care anymore if Mothlante brings back Malema - you and Maharaj are a disgrace and the sooner we see the back of you both the better.
 
Shapiro was right, Zuma wants to avoid a potentially embarrassing court case so close to Mangaung. He is out of delaying tactics.
 
jah, it is clear for everyone to see that he is sidestepping the embarassing revealations this case was going to bring out.
 
The only reason the dropped the charges is because Zapiro didn't back down and yield. Zuma was bluffing and Zapiro correctly called it. Zuma knew he would not be able to win the case in a court of law. Not even a SA one.
 
What a brilliant tactician! Nobody will notice the real reasons for why he dropped the suit and he will come out the Champion of Free Speech!
Nobody will notice, not a single one I tell you!
 
The cartoon depicted Zuma loosening his trousers while Lady Justice was held down by since expelled African National Congress Youth League president Julius Malema, Congress of SA Trade Unions general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi, SA Communist Party general secretary Blade Nzimande and ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe, all saying: "Go for it, boss."

Zuma was acquitted of a rape charge in 2006

"The newspaper and the cartoonist wanted to perpetrate an image of the President as a sexual deviant, despite a court of law rejecting the allegations against him and clearing his name," said Maharaj.
Click to expand...

Umm... I think you're seeing only the trees there, Mac. Look for the forest in there, Mac. See it yet? There you go, genius.
 
Shame it hurt Zuma. Well JZ I too am hurt at the way you and your pack are fking this country and ALL it's people up the butt.
 
“The president... would like to avoid setting a legal precedent that may have the effect of limiting the public exercise of free speech, with the unforeseen consequences this may have on our media, public commentators and citizens,” his spokesman Mac Maharaj said in a statement on Sunday.
Click to expand...

I wish someone would do a proper interview with the presidential spokesperson, Mac Maharaj. The OBVIOUS question to ask him would have been why, if JZ does not want limit free speech did he institute the claim to begin with???!!

One of the other (real!) reasons why JZ would have dropped the claim is that, if one sues for impairment of one's dignity (as he did here), you would have to testify in court about exactly how your dignity was impaired and how it made you feel. Jaycob would not have wanted to do that because, well, WHAT dignity? Cross-examination would have killed that :D
 
Last edited:
blunomore said:
I wish someone would do a proper interview with the presidential spokesperson, Mac Maharaj. The OBVIOUS question to ask him would have been why, if JZ does not want limit free speech did he institute the claim to begin with???!!

One of the other (real!) reasons why JZ would have dropped the claim is that, if one sues for impairment of one's dignity (as he did here), you would have to testify in court about exactly how your dignity was impaired and how it made you feel. Jaycob would not have wanted to do that because, well, WHAT dignity? Cross-examination would have killed that :D
Click to expand...
Zuma had already dropped the dignity bit from the suit in any case. But at to Mac, he's a spin doctor no amount of interviews is going to get anything but spin out of him. He is very good at deflecting and going off in a tangent when questioned about Zuma. Mind you look at the comment he makes about Zapiro depicting Zuma asa sexual deviant and rapist when the courts found him not guilty. I meant that's total horse ****! the cartoon has nothing to do with Zuma's rape case. It is his rape of the justice system that was depicted but Mac is playing the angle that will get the most sympathy from Zuma's supporter.
 
R13... said:
Zuma had already dropped the dignity bit from the suit in any case. But at to Mac, he's a spin doctor no amount of interviews is going to get anything but spin out of him. He is very good at deflecting and going off in a tangent when questioned about Zuma. Mind you look at the comment he makes about Zapiro depicting Zuma asa sexual deviant and rapist when the courts found him not guilty. I meant that's total horse ****! the cartoon has nothing to do with Zuma's rape case. It is his rape of the justice system that was depicted but Mac is playing the angle that will get the most sympathy from Zuma's supporter.
Click to expand...


Maybe my eye is too critical but I differ from you: I think Maharaj is terrible at his job. I know his job is too spin, but whenever he makes statements I can see right through them. I often view him with a mixture of pity and contempt: he has to stoop so low as to defend this man's actions. Surely there are better jobs out there, where he will come across as more believable. Does the man have no pride in his work?
 
R13... said:
No. He gets paid to speak for the president and if the prez is happy then the man sees pay day. Otherwise he gets the boot.
Click to expand...

Are you saying Carl Niehaus did NOT do this job before? Are you sure?

Oh and he gets paid regardless of whether the Prez is happy. If there is unhappiness he will get the boot, but until then, he gets paid monthly.
 
blunomore said:
Are you saying Carl Niehaus did NOT do this job before? Are you sure?

Oh and he gets paid regardless of whether the Prez is happy. If there is unhappiness he will get the boot, but until then, he gets paid monthly.
Click to expand...
Zuma's previous mouthpiece was Zizi Kodwa in an acting position.
 
The real real reason Zuma backed down is 'cos the cartoon of him getting to rape lady justice was 100% perfectly spot on!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X