Zumas, The Citizen first published the suicide note – and no, Chikane was not involved

A good, resourceful journalist builds a contact list and checks facts.

Such qualities are missing from recent coverage of how Jacob Zuma’s third wife Kate’s suicide note became news. The subject was resurrected in Zooming with the Zumas on YouTube, featuring Jacob and Duduzane, son of Kate.

In ensuing tweets Frank Chikane, former director-general in Thabo Mbeki’s presidency, is maligned.

Kate died in December 2000, when Duduzane was 16.

The suicide note story was published first by The Citizen in May 2006.

Chikane had no role in this, despite accusations then and now.

The resourceful journalist was senior reporter Werner Swart, who is now editor of a TV news programme. Swart had been covering Zuma’s 2006 rape trial for The Citizen when he read online about the suicide.

He knew there would have been an inquest, as there is with any suicide.

Swart used his contacts to trace the docket number. He then called a Pretoria-based Citizen staffer, asking her to fetch a copy of the docket from court. A few hours later we had the voluminous file in our office.

“It was a Friday. I remember us going through the contents,” Swart said yesterday. “We ran a front-page splash next day. On the Sunday, there was an ANC national executive committee meeting.

“Karima Brown wrote a scathing piece in the Independent saying it was shameful how Zuma’s enemies used the suicide letter to get to him. She questioned why The Citizen was ‘chosen’ for the leak. It’s a lie, there was no leak,” says Swart.

“I’ve never met Frank Chikane. He was not a source. It was straightforward journalism: asking around and obtaining a legal document in a legal manner.”

At the time, Jacob Zuma was portrayed as a victim of political conspiracy.

This fervently held belief swept aside all reason.

Zuma’s supporters hounded rape accuser Khwezi into exile. They brushed off allegations of corruption and moral scandal. Every accusation was seen as part of a plot to stop Zuma.

At the rape trial, we learnt that Zuma had unprotected sex with the HIV-positive daughter of a comrade. We saw the birth of Zuma shower cartoons, first published in The Citizen.

Yet, in this climate of gender abuse, the unstoppable tsunami of the Zuma campaign, didn’t care a damn about the contents of the suicide note.

Kate Zuma killed herself because she could no longer endure what she described as “24 years of hell” with Jacob. She was the victim.

But that did not fit the narrative that Jacob was the victim. Zuma supporters ignored the evidence.

The Citizen was scandalised for publishing the truth obtained in a lawful, above-board manner.

Many in the media went along with this demonisation of the paper, without considering the character of the person they were defending.

By airing the suicide topic now, Zuma is trying to evoke sympathy as his long-awaited corruption trial date looms. On Twitter, the gullible are again portraying him as victim.

But the story scarcely features in a news cycle swamped by a seemingly unstoppable coronavirus.

Zuma has overplayed his victim card and, once more, abused Kate.

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