The kanga and the kangaroo court

reflections on the rape trial of Jacob Zuma

Plot

Inspired by rare strength and courage, this gripping narrative tells the story of a young woman—known variously as “Khwezi” and “the complainant”—who made a principled decision to lay a charge of rape against Jacob Zuma, a man who was a father-figure, a family friend, a comrade—and the deputy president of South Africa. She took on the fight against considerable odds, Zuma being one of the most popular and powerful political leaders of his time. Enduring prolonged public attacks, she listened to Zuma supporters chant “Burn the Bitch” outside the courtroom during her trial. Her accusers and the judge concurred that having worn a kanga that evening, the complainant had, like so many other women, “asked for it.” Crushed and conquered by the mechanics of power, she was forced to flee into exile. By using the trial of Jacob Zuma as a mirror, this account reveals the hidden yet public forms of violence against women in their homes, marriages, and churches. Caught in the crossfire of the nation’s political succession battle, this young woman refused to back down. Her story outlines the particular ways in which women can be subjugated by power, and by speaking out, she amplified the muffled screams of the countless victims of those who parade their authority in parliament, government, and religion.