Duduzane court mayhem
BLF HURLED INSULTS AT AFRIFORUM
THERE was drama outside the Randburg Magistrate’s Court when former president Jacob Zuma’s son, Duduzane, made an appearance to face a culpable homicide charge.
Reports of the former president arriving with a VIP protection unit to support his son added to the drama, although he is said to have remained in his vehicle.
Police moved quickly to explain the presence of a VIP protection unit at the case. National police spokesperson Brigadier Vish Naidoo dismissed speculation that the unit was dispatched to ferry the former president’s son.
“Duduzane used a private vehicle,” said Naidoo.
He said the unit was at the court as part of the security personnel unit for Zuma, who had arrived to support Duduzane.
“All former presidents are still protected and entitled to VIP protection, including Zuma,” said Naidoo.
Outside court, Black First Land First (BLF) members got into a heated confrontation with lobby group AfriForum chief executive officer Kallie Kriel, calling him a “settler and racist”.
The BLF, including leader Andile Mngxitama, got angry when they saw Kriel talking to journalists following Zuma’s brief court appearance yesterday.
When Duduzane left the court, BLF members shoved journalists, blocking them from asking him questions.
“Justice will finally be done,” said Kriel in between the insults being hurled at him.
Duduzane’s day in court came after AfriForum announced that it would privately prosecute him for a February 2014 accident which claimed the lives of two women.
This was after the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) had declined to prosecute Duduzane, despite a ruling by Randburg magistrate Lalitha Chetty which stated that he was negligent.
It was only after AfriForum said it would privately prosecute Duduzane that the NPA brought the charges against him.
The BLF members hurled insults at Kriel, who tried to keep calm and laughed as he responded to them.
“This is not a white country, it is a black country. Leave black people alone and go back to Europe,” BLF deputy-president Zanele Lwana said angrily.
“You are a f **** n settler and coloniser here. You killed our ancestors. You killed our people… You cannot talk for black people. You have no right to do that.”
Kriel responded: “My schoolchildren don’t even behave like this. I am not scared of you.”
His words were met with even more anger, with more insults hurled at him.
Kriel was accused of being a racist, murderer and “land thief ”.
BLF treasurer-general Thandiswa Yaphi said: “You steal from us and then you come back and represent us. You are talking s**t.”
BLF reiterated that FW de Klerk, the last president of the apartheid regime, should be imprisoned.
Lwana said: “Arrest De Klerk. Why is De Klerk not in jail? De Klerk is in charge of the murders and massacres of our people. This is documented, no one can deny it. What do we do instead?
“When De Klerk walks into Parliament at the inauguration in particular of Cyril Ramaphosa he gets a standing ovation from black leaders that we have elected to push the interests of black people.”
FW de Klerk Foundation spokesperson Megan Dick said the organisation would not comment.
Lwana said the attacks on the Zuma family were “unfair and uncalled for”.
Inside court Duduzane seemed calm as he spoke to relatives, including his sister Duduzile, in the public gallery. He occasionally smiled at journalists.
Media has been granted permission to broadcast the proceedings of the case.
The case was postponed to August 23 to give the defence tiime to look at the State’s evidence. Duduzane would not be drawn to comment on the matter or his feelings.
It was the second time that the Gupta family’s business associate appeared in court this week.
On Monday Duduzane made a brief court appearance at the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court in Johannesburg in relation to his alleged involvement in bribery attempts by the Guptas of former deputy finance minister Mcebisi Jonas in 2016.
In that matter Duduzane was granted bail of R100 000 following strict bail conditions, including surrendering his two passports to the police and reporting to the Rosebank police station twice a week.
The case was postponed to January 24.