DLAMINI-ZUMA MAY APPEAL SEX-PEST TRIAL COSTS

What is it with the Zuma's, that they continually find themselves in the middle of the most bizarre battles and then cry 'foul'! Perhaps it is time for them both to come clean - like that will ever happen - but I can dream can't I?

Dlamini-Zuma may appeal sex-pest trial costs
December 02 2006 at 01:56PM

Foreign Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma may appeal the Pretoria High Court's decision to award costs against her in the sexual harassment trial of a former ambassador. The two parties had agreed that the minister would pay the cost of the application if she opposed the matter in court, said her spokesperson Ronnie Mamoepa. "Since Minister Dlamini-Zuma did not oppose the matter, the decision to award costs against the minister has created grounds for appeal."

On Friday the Pretoria High Court overruled an earlier decision by Dlamini-Zuma to overturn sexual harassment charges against former ambassador to Indonesia, Norman Mashabane. Mamoepa said calls from the Democratic Alliance for Dlamini-Zuma to apologise to the victims and all South African women were publicity attempts.


"This amounts to hanging on to the coat-tails of the minister to gain cheap publicity." The minister's contribution to gender equality within the South African struggle and her opposition to women abuse and sexual harassment were "unparalleled". "Minister Dlamini-Zuma remains steadfast in her commitment to the principles of gender equality, not for glory nor distinction, but because that remains one of the essence of the kind of democratic society for which she struggled and will live for."

The minister was waiting for a copy of the judgment and would then determine "the course of action", he said. "The minister will study the judgment and consider an appeal against the awarding of costs against her and the government. "The re-instatement of the sexual harassment charges came after the Public Servants' Association and a department employee, Lara Swart, asked the court to overturn a 2004 appeal decision by the minister allowing Mashabane to stay in his job. Mashabane was found guilty by a disciplinary committee in 2001 of 22 counts of sexual harassment.

The committee recommended that he be fired, but remained in his post pending an appeal and was found guilty of another sexual harassment count in 2003. His appeals were upheld in 2004 by Dlamini-Zuma, who reversed the findings, suggesting that Mashabane was being dragged through the mud for exposing motor vehicle fraud at the embassy. - Sapa