Redi Tlhabi says President Jacob Zuma should have owned up to the fact that he exploited his power with regards to Khwezi.

Tlhabi’s new book, Khwezi: The Remarkable Story of Fezekile Ntsukela Kuzwayo – which broke sales and launch attendance records recently – tells the story of late Fezekile Khuzwayo who accused president Jacob Zuma of rape 10 years ago.

Click on the link above for more about the book.

‘I think Jacob Zuma did get off lightly,’ Tlhabi says. ‘Never mind the legal bit, even if we were to talk about a moral argument, he got away with not even having to account for his conduct.’

Tlhabi emphasises that she makes no legal claims about the trial in her book, but focuses rather on the power relations.

‘I’m not a judge, I’m not a lawyer, and I need to state categorically that legally Jacob Zuma is not a rapist, he was acquitted, he was not found guilty of rape,’ Tlhabi says. ‘That is important to say. And I don’t make the claim in the book that the judge was wrong. No, I’m dealing with other pillars of these power relations as played out in court and through this case.

‘I do think that even if I am not venturing into legal arguments, the standard by which we judge men and leaders in general was lowered, and it continues to be lowered, for Jacob Zuma,’ Tlhabi continues. ‘He was never asked to fully own up to the fact that he was the senior, he had the power, and he exploited that power.’

Watch the video:

Categories Non-fiction South Africa

Tags Jonathan Ball Publishers Khwezi Khwezi: The Remarkable Story of Fezekile Ntsukela Kuzwayo News24 Redi Tlhabi Video YouTube