Deputy Minister slams Jacob Zuma

Security guards had to rush Deputy Arts and Culture Minister Mantombazane Botha away from the funeral of Ruth Bhengu’s daughter under heavy guard after she slammed Jacob Zuma in her speech. She made a scathing attack on Zuma for making false and misleading statements about his anti-HIV shower. The Witness reports that the Botha incident has laid bare the deepening divisions within the ANC between camps loyal to Zuma and President Thabo Mbeki respectively. A number of key ANC leaders also used the funeral in Pietermaritzburg to criticise the Treatment Action Campaign for saying Nozipho Bhengu would still be alive had she taken ARV’s instead of relying on the diet prescribed by self-proclaimed nutritionist Tina van der Maas.