Zuma’s fines paid before crash probe
PRESIDENT Jacob Zuma’s son, Duduzane, quickly and quietly settled R7 000 in traffic fines before an inquest into a fatal car crash‚ with the help of a lawyer‚ leaked e-mails show.
Duduzane’s lawyer, Gary Mazaham, was paid around R700 000 and his work included having a private consultant settle three speeding fines for which warrants of arrest had been issued in Duduzane’s name.
In 2014, the Porsche he was driving collided with a taxi on the M1 highway. Two women in the taxi died.
Duduzane said his high-powered Porsche hit a puddle of water and he lost control‚ veering into the taxi‚ which smashed into a barrier.
The non-admission of guilt fines were never brought up during the inquest inquiry in November 2014 and NPA spokesman Luvuyo Mfaku said the prosecuting authority was not aware of the speeding fines until sent questions by TimesLIVE.
This information has come to light following a report by The Times yesterday that the National Prosecuting Authority declined to prosecute Duduzane despite Randburg magistrate Lalitha Chetty ruling he was negligent and that his actions had led to the death of Phumzile Dube.
Asked about apparent contradictions in two statements made by Duduzane‚ Mfaku said: “Such evidence if in existence must be placed before the prosecution to be considered with all the facts surrounding this matter.”
Mfaku said the NPA had declined to prosecute Duduzane in August 2015 because, after an intensive review of the evidence‚ there was no chance of a successful prosecution.
Contained in the leaked e-mails is an itemised billing spreadsheet Mazaham sent to Zuma, which shows he paid Polo Dimeo, of Trafficwize, R25 000 for his services, which included collecting information from Johannesburg metro police officers and paying the fines.
On October 31 2014, Mazaham sent a letter to Duduzane via e-mail and attached a statement compiled between them. Mazaham points out certain discrepancies in Duduzane’s version of events and that of key witnesses.
The Times also identified another discrepancy in the statement Mazaham prepared‚ which was not addressed in the letter to Duduzane.
Duduzane states that after the accident he phoned Rajesh “Tony” Gupta and a friend with whom he had been having dinner.
“I advised him [the friend] that my mobile phone battery was low and if he was unable to reach me on my mobile phone‚ that I would probably be at the Sandton Police Station.” But Duduzane, in fact, went home and did not immediately report the accident – it remains unexplained why he only gave a statement to Sandton police eight days after the crash.
Since hearing of the NPA’s decision not to prosecute‚ the DA has requested access to the inquest docket and questioned why Duduzane contacted Tony Gupta and not the police.