Malema explains himself

JOHANNESBURG – ANC Youth League president Julius Malema was not giving a ‘general lecture’ on rape victims when he made a controversial comment about a rape accuser, the Equality Court in Johannesburg heard yesterday.

‘It was not a general lecture on rape victims. It was a specific response to a specific case,’ Malema told the court.’I was never, in whatever way possible, trying to be an expert on rape victims,’ said Malema, dressed in a light brown pin-striped jacket and beige trousers.’The audience I was addressing never ever interpreted this as a general comment,’ he added.He was responding to questions by Chris Todd, lawyer for the Sonke Gender Justice Network, which laid the complaint against Malema for saying in public that President Jacob Zuma’s rape accuser ‘had a nice time’.’Those who had a nice time will wait until the sun comes out, request breakfast and ask for taxi money. In the morning, that lady requested breakfast and taxi money,’ Malema said at the Cape Peninsula Technikon in January in the run-up to general elections.Todd asked him if these were the measures he used to decide if a woman had enjoyed sex.’I was not trying to be an expert on the conduct of women after sex,’ replied Malema.He was trying to clarify why Zuma remained the ANC’s presidential candidate despite negative coverage of his rape trial, a charge on which Zuma was acquitted in 2006.’I was explaining why the ANC still had Zuma as a candidate.’To this, one of his woman supporters in court, whispered a loud ‘yes!’ and punched her fist in the air.Malema acknowledged her with a nod.Malema said that if the Sonke Gender Justice Network had taken up an offer by ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe for a meeting with Malema to explain himself, the hearing before the Equality Court would not have been necessary.’We must engage each other… they should have seen an opportunity to educate a young man.’I think there are other agendas which are trying to undermine this leadership.’They would not have refused an opportunity by the ANC secretary general to [meet]… I must say I am highly disappointed… the first opportunity they saw to educate a young man, was to rush to court.’Last month, magistrate Colleen Collis dismissed a complaint of unfair discrimination against Malema, but ruled that the charges of hate speech and harassment remain.The Sonke Gender Justice Network said the comment perpetuated rape myths and could affect the lobbying and workshops they did among boys and men to prevent sexual violence.It wants a full apology and N$50 000 in damages to be paid to a shelter for abused women. – Nampa-Sapa