Rush to pay Zuma’s traffic fines before inquest
Lawyer’s detailed spreadsheet bill
Duduzane Zuma quickly and quietly settled R7 000 in traffic fines before an inquest into a fatal car crash.
This was done with the help of a lawyer who was clearly hard at work to clean up his image‚ leaked e-mails show.
Zuma’s lawyer Gary Mazaham was paid about R700 000 and his work included having a private consultant settle three speeding fines for which warrants of arrest had been issued in Zuma’s name.
Duduzane is President Jacob Zuma’s son and in 2014 the Porsche he was driving collided with a taxi on the M1 highway.
Two women who were travelling in the taxi died.
Phumzile Dube‚ 30‚ died at the scene and Jeanette Mashaba died in hospital later.
Mashaba’s death was ruled a result of natural causes.
Zuma maintained his highpowered Porsche hit a puddle of water and he lost control‚ veering into the taxi‚ which in turn smashed into the barrier.
The fines were never brought up during the inquest inquiry and National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesman Luvuyo Mfaku said the p rosecuting authority was not aware of the speeding
‘ ‘ R7 000 for ... settling three non-admission of guilt fines
fines until sent questions by TimesLIVE.
Mazaham also advised Zuma on how to doctor his testimony to fit in with his initial account submitted to police after the crash, in one letter telling him to “please carefully reconsider his recordal” (sic) of certain details.
It has emerged the NPA declined to prosecute Zuma despite Randburg magistrate Lalitha Chetty ruling Zuma was negligent and his actions led to the death of Dube.
Contained in the leaked emails was an itemised billing spreadsheet Mazaham sent to Zuma that showed he paid Polo Dimeo, of Trafficwize, R25 000 for his services, which included collecting information from Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) officers and paying the fines.
According to the bill‚ Mazaham charged Zuma for a few hours he spent preparing a defence for the fines in case the prosecutor‚ Yusuf Baba‚ brought it up during the inquest.
It is on the same spreadsheet that Mazaham mentions the warrants of arrest.
On August 19 2014 he wrote the following, “Preliminary discussion with Mr P Dimeo an[d] requesting that he obtain a full printout of all traffic transgressions of client.
“Obtaining detailed schedule from him in terms of traffic infringements and determining three non-admission of guilt recordals with warrants of arrest.”
On October 7 Mazaham wrote, “Paid P Dimeo agreed prescribed fee‚ inclusive of disbursements of R7 000 for purposes of settling three non-admission of guilt fines and to ensure withdrawal of warrants of arrest.”
The speeding fines, however‚ never featured at the inquest‚ which got under way in November 2014.
JMPD spokeswoman Edna Mamonyane explained that if you then pay the fines after a warrant was issued‚ you will also be liable for penalties stipulated by the court for being in contempt.
“But once that is paid‚ the warrants of arrest will be withdrawn‚” she said.
Dimeo declined to comment when contacted last week‚ but vehemently defended Zuma, saying he was innocent and people were “gunning for him because of his father”.