Government denies using Jacob Zuma’s photo for anti-GBV campaign

The image of former president Jacob Zuma that went viral. Picture: Screenshot

The image of former president Jacob Zuma that went viral. Picture: Screenshot

Published Oct 20, 2019

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Cape Town - The Department of Social Development has denied using the image of former president Jacob Zuma in an anti-gender-based violence (GBV) campaign in remembrance of his rape accuser.

A photo of a smiling Zuma on the homepage of gbv.org.za went viral on social media, with the hashtag #rememberKhwezi emblazoned on the image.

Fezekile Ntsukela Kuzwayo, also known as Khwezi, was an activist who accused Zuma of rape in 2005.

The daughter of deceased MK veteran Judson Kuzwayo, who was reportedly diagnosed with HIV in the 1990s, died in October 2016.

Zuma - who was a family friend - has repeatedly denied the rape allegations and was eventually acquitted of the charges.

The department has strongly denied the use of Zuma’s image and the existence of an official campaign called #rememberKhwezi .

When the image first circulated, the department issued a statement on social media to clarify the matter.

“The department did not and has no campaign called #rememberKhwezi,” it said.

The fake image was used as a poster, hours after Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu did a walkabout at the gender-based violence command centre in Pretoria on October 11.

“The Department of Social Development has noted, with concern, the poster doing the rounds on social media claiming that there is a campaign called #rememberKhwezi launched by the department,” the department said.

Chief officer for Vodacom corporate affairs Taki Netshitendze joined the minister during the visit to the GBV call centre offices.

The Vodacom Foundation supports the GBV foundation and the cellular network’s logo also appeared on the poster for the GBV campaign, prompting social media users to ask if Vodacom approved of Zuma’s image being used as part of a campaign associated with Khwezi.

Feminist activist Fatima Shabodien tweeted: “What does it mean when a government department launches a GBV campaign called #rememberKhwezi with Jacob Zuma on the poster? I’m completely confused. @Vodacom - enlighten us?”

The department tweeted: “The department has no campaign by that name. Minister visited the GBV command centre on Friday.

“This was covered extensively by the media. All posters created for advertising the centre and the visit were shared on all our social media platforms.”

There are also a number of social media posts from people claiming they saw the image on the official departmental website.

Twitter user @ShaunMellors said: “@The_DSD says ‘there was no such campaign’ - we never said it was a campaign and it was clearly on http://gbv.org.za. It was in poor taste and insensitive. Thanks for taking it down.”

The DSD responded to most tweets questioning the image and whether it was real and explained that the image was doctored and is in no way associated with the department.

The website gbv.org.za is a microsite created and managed by the department and the image of Zuma with the hashtag circulated on social media cannot be found on the site.

Department spokesperson Lumka Oliphant said it’s nothing sinister, and the website is under “routine” construction.

Weekend Argus

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Jacob Zuma