Duduzane granted R100k bail
Duduzane Zuma’s woes are far from over as he prepares to make his second court appearance in a week in the Randburg Magistrate’s Court on Thursday.
He will face two counts of culpable homicide related to the death of Phumzile Dube, 34.
Dube was killed when Zuma’s Porche crashed into a taxi on the M1 highway in Johannesburg in 2014.
Yesterday a leg-cuffed Zuma made a brief appearance in the Johannesburg Commercial Crimes Court charged with corruption, with an alternative charge of conspiracy to commit corruption.
The charges emanate from an alleged R600-million bribe offer made to former deputy minister of finance Mcebisi Jonas in 2015 by Ajay Gupta, in Zuma’s presence.
He was granted R100 000 bail and ordered to surrender his passport to the investigating officer.
Pedzisane Dube, Phumzile’s brother, told the Sowetan yesterday he was relieved but also anxious ahead of the court appearance.
“It is not easy to talk about this because it has been going on for so many years and there was a time when it was quiet,” Dube said.
He said his sister’s death had such a negative impact on his mother’s health it left her bedridden for some time after they buried Phumzile.
“She doesn’t know that he (Zuma) is appearing in court because she is in Zimbabwe,” he said.
Zuma, 34, appeared relaxed yesterday as he was led into the dock.
His provisional charge sheet detailed that: “At this meeting, Mr Ajay Gupta in the presence of [Zuma] offered Mcebisi Jonas the position of finance minister, advising him that the current minister of finance was to be relieved of his position in cabinet.
“Mr Ajay Gupta further offered an amount of R600-million to be deposited in a bank account of his choice and R600 000 in cash to assist him and his companies in their business ventures with government.”
Magistrate Jeremy Jansen van Vuuren postponed the matter until 24 January 2019 for further investigation.
It is not easy to talk about this because this matter has been going on for years