Duduzane Zuma case postponed as BLF, AfriForum clash outside court

Duduzane Zuma’s court appearance today may have been a five-minute affair, but it was the shenanigans outside the court that made the headlines.

The culpable homicide case against Zuma, the son of former president Jacob Zuma, was postponed to August 23. It was his second quick appearance in court this week – he appeared in the Specialised Commercial Crime Court in Johannesburg on Monday on corruption charges.

Zuma, who was shackled for Monday’s court appearance, was granted bail of R100 000 and was ordered to hand over his passport.

His case on Thursday at the Randburg Magistrates’ Court involved the deaths of two people after he crashed his Porsche into a taxi in 2014.

Dressed in a blue suit, Zuma greeted journalists and lawyers when he arrived in court sporting a mohawk.

Duduzane Zuma, son of former South African president Jacob Zuma, arives at the Randburg Magistrate Court on homicide charges related to a fatal car crash in 2014, in Randburg, near Johannesburg, South Africa July 12, 2018. Picture: REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko

The case was postponed for disclosure of inquest proceedings and content of the docket.

Outside court, AfriForum chief executive Kallie Kriel was attacked by Black First Land First members who tried to prevent him from speaking to the media. He was called “racist” by BLF leader Andile Mngxitama, who maintained that Zuma was the victim of a political vendetta.

A handful of BLF members also walked around in shackles, saying “hands off Duduzane”.

Kriel said those supporting Zuma didn’t feel anything for the families of the deceased.

The National Prosecuting Authority had previously declined to pursue charges against Zuma but reviewed the decision after civil rights group AfriForum announced plans to pursue a private prosecution against him.

Zuma lost control of his car on the Grayston off-ramp and crashed into a taxi in 2014. He was accused of negligently causing the deaths of Phumzile Dube and Nanki Mashaba.

Dube died on the scene of the crash while Mashaba died in hospital several weeks later.

Edward Zuma, Duduzane Zuma's brother gestures at the Randburg Magistrate Court, in Randburg, near Johannesburg, South Africa July 12, 2018. Picture: REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko

Last year, advocate Gerrie Nel, head of AfriForum’s private prosecuting unit, applied for a certificate of non-prosecution on behalf of the Dube family, so that they could pursue a private prosecution.

National Director of Public Prosecutions Shaun Abrahams has since done an about-turn and informed AfriForum in February that he was reviewing his decision.

In a letter Abrahams sent to Zuma on February 2, he asked him to supply reasons he should not be prosecuted and to send them to him by the end of March. In February Kriel told City Press that they were overjoyed at the decision.

“This is a victory for the Dube family, Gerrie Nel and AfriForum, but also for everyone in the country who is fed up that former president Jacob Zuma, his friends and his family have managed to duck prosecution because of the protection that the NPA offered them,” he said.

Duduzane Zuma denied any wrongdoing in both the culpable homicide case and the corruption case. – Additional reporting by News24