South African media lashed out at Tuesday’s secret court appearance of axed deputy president Jacob Zuma on a rape charge, saying the news blackout showed contempt for democracy. Deputy ANC president Zuma was charged with rape in a Johannesburg court. The case was not put on the court roll. Zuma - who is also facing 2 charges of corruption in a separate case that cost him his position as South Africa’s deputy president in June - appeared an hour before the court opened in the morning.

Journalists and photographers were barred from covering his appearance.
"Is Jacob Zuma above the law?," asked the Johannesburg-based daily The Star
in an editorial. "Our courts are public places... all of this changed when Zuma appeared in the magistrate’s court," it said. The paper criticised the fact that his case did not appear on the court roll, that Zuma appeared before opening hours, that reporters were not allowed access to the charge sheet and that the court was cleared of staff. It also complained that the police’s VIP protection unit manhandled photographers.