JOHANNESBURG, South Africa -                 Former South African President, Jacob Zuma’s son Duduzane Zuma has been found not guilty of culpable homicide and negligent driving charges, in the Randburg magistrate’s court sitting in Johannesburg.

The case involves the death of a minibus taxi passenger in 2014.

Phumzile Dube died after young Zuma's Porsche crashed into the minibus taxi on the M1 south‚ near the Grayston turnoff in Sandton.

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) initially decided not to prosecute Zuma due to “insufficient evidence”.  But the matter was later referred to a magistrate for an inquest to determine whether the accident was caused by human error.

In December 2014‚, the investigation, held at the Randburg magistrate’s court, found that negligence by Zuma was the cause of Dube’s death.

However, after AfriForum’s private prosecution unit applied to privately prosecute Zuma‚ the National Prosecution Authority, NPA, reversed its initial decision and announced it would prosecute Zuma in 2018, while the criminal case began in 2019.

Zuma during cross-examination‚ told the court that on the day of the accident there was heavy rain and visibility was poor.

He also told the court that he had been driving at a speed of about 120km/h and had hit a puddle of water, which resulted in his vehicle losing control and spinning.

Michael Jankelowitz, a motorist who testified on Zuma’s behalf in May‚ told the court he was driving on the same road when Zuma’s Porsche collided with a minibus taxi.

Jankelowitz corroborated Zuma’s version that it had been raining on the fateful night and that he was not speeding.

During closing arguments in June‚ Zuma’s counsel‚ Mike Hellens SC, said there was no evidence that Zuma was travelling at an excessive speed when he overtook the minibus taxi.

Hellens contended that Zuma could not avoid aquaplaning (losing control of the vehicle because of water on the surface of the road).

“Aquaplaning happened unexpectedly. What could Mr Zuma have done to avoid aquaplaning that night? At what speed was he supposed to drive that night to avoid aquaplaning?”

However‚ prosecutor Yusuf Baba argued that aquaplaning did not happen on its own and that there were factors affecting it‚ such as “tyre pressure‚ the speed of the vehicle”.

Baba said it was up to the court to rule on whether Zuma had been driving negligently.

“The court has to determine the following: did Mr Zuma drive the car as a prudent driver‚ did he take precautions and did he reduce his speed? He failed dismally‚” Baba argued.

The court finally ruled that the  prosecutors had failed to prove their case beyond reasonable doubt, hence acquitted Zuma.