Judgment in the culpable homicide trial of Duduzane Zuma will be handed down on July 12 at the Randburg Magistrate’s Court.
Former President Jacob Zuma’s son is facing charges of culpable homicide and reckless and negligent driving.
This relates to a 2014 incident in which Zuma lost control of his sports car and crashed into a minibus-taxi on the M1 highway in Johannesburg resulting in the death of Phumzile Dube who was one of the passengers in the taxi at that time.
State Prosecutor Yusuf Baba earlier told the court that Zuma should be convicted of the charges against him as the evidence proves he is guilty of causing the crash. He also told the court that Zuma lost control of his vehicle because he was driving negligently and because he never adapted his driving to the inclement weather conditions.
However, Zuma’s defence says that he should be acquitted of the charges against him as the State failed to prove that he is guilty beyond reasonable doubt.
Lawyer Mike Hellens told the court that it’s now common knowledge that the particular model of Porsche that Zuma was driving when he collided with the taxi, was prone to what is termed – Aquaplaning – resulting in him losing control of the vehicle.
Aquaplaning occurs when a layer of water builds between the wheels of the vehicle and the road surface, leading to a loss of traction that prevents the vehicle from responding to driver control.
Hellens also told the court that several witnesses confirmed that Zuma was not driving negligently and it was not his fault when his car spun out of control.
