President Jacob Zuma moved to defuse the furore over his love child, admitting that he had fathered the baby, and calling for his privacy to be respected.

He also sought to dispel claims that his having unprotected sex with Sonono Khoza, daughter of soccer boss Irvin Khoza, had undermined his government's HIV/Aids message.

>> Read Zuma's full statement

"It is mischievous to argue that I have changed or undermined government's stance on the HIV and Aids campaign. I will not compromise on the campaign," Zuma said in a statement issued a day after his return from an African Union summit in Ethiopia.

Since the revelation by the Sunday Times at the weekend that Zuma - who has three wives and a fiancée - had fathered another child out of wedlock, the president has come under heavy criticism from political parties and activists for undermining the battle against the pandemic.

The president finally broke his silence, admitting that he fathered four-month-old Thandekile Matina Zuma with 39-year-old Khoza, who works for Absa bank.

The Times revealed that a birth certification document showed that the two were traditionally married.

But in his statement, Zuma steered clear of their marital status, saying: "The matter is now between the two of us, and culturally, between the Zuma and Khoza families."

He did confirm, however, that he had taken "responsibility" by acknowledging paternity and paying inhlawulo (damages paid for a child out of wedlock) to the Khoza family.

"I confirm that I have a relationship and a baby with Ms Sonono Khoza. I said during World Aids Day that we must all take personal responsibility for our actions. I have done so.

"I have done the necessary cultural imperatives in a situation of this nature, for example the formal acknowledgement of paternity and responsibility, including the payment of inhlawulo to the family."

Although Khoza had been reachable on her phone earlier in the day, she did not answer calls soon after Zuma issued the statement.

When The Times visited her parents' home last night, an angry Irvin Khoza instructed one of his neighbours to tell the reporters to "f*** off".

The neighbour told The Times: "I saw the baby. The baby looks like Zuma."

Zuma said his baby, her mother and the Khoza family had been subjected "to harsh media exposure merely because of the position that I occupy".

He suggested that newspapers had contravened the Child Care Act and the Constitution by revealing the identity of the baby's parents.

"We respect and uphold the freedom of the media. However, the President of the Republic, the mother and the baby are also entitled to the rights afforded to all South Africans in the Constitution. These rights cannot be waived just because of a position one occupies," he said.

"The media is also in essence questioning the right of the child to exist and, fundamentally, her right to life. It is unfortunate that the matter has been handled in this way. I sincerely hope that the media will protect the rights of children," he said.

The reaction to Zuma's admission was not one of forgiveness.

Independent Democrats leader Patricia de Lille said: "Finally he has spoken. There is nothing private about him. He is the President, and if he does not like public scrutiny, he must leave the job. He cannot say that he has not compromised the government's HIV and Aids campaign. What he does publicly and privately has a direct impact on us as a nation."

Democratic Alliance leader Helen Zille was not available for comment last night, but called earlier in the week for Zuma to apologise for his actions.

Yesterday, the African Christian Democratic Party's Reverend Kenneth Meshoe said that, despite Zuma's acknowledgement of the child, he had set a bad example.

"He would get more respect from people if he apologised. It is not mischievous to argue that he has undermined the government's stance on the HIV/Aids campaigns. It is a fact that he has.

"The campaign says no multiple partners and use a condom. If he had used a condom, he wouldn't have a child. And no matter how much he denies it, he cannot say he is not having multiple partners," Meshoe said.

Congress of South African Trade Unions' spokesman Patrick Craven said the party had not discussed the statement yet.

"No matter what the conclusions of the current discussion, the federation calls on all South Africans, in particular the youth and women, who statistically are more ravaged by the scourge of HIV/Aids, to recommit themselves to the basic tenets of our common campaign." - Additional reporting by Nkosana Lekotjolo