Duduzane Zuma and Jacob Zuma in Randburg Magistrates’ Court, 23 August 2018 (CNBC Africa / Aviwe Mtila / Twitter)
Duduzane Zuma and Jacob Zuma in Randburg Magistrates’ Court, 23 August 2018 (CNBC Africa / Aviwe Mtila / Twitter)
You’d be forgiven for forgetting that Duduzane Zuma is actually on trial for culpable homicide, given that there have been so many distractions surrounding the case.
His previous appearances at Randburg Magistrates’ Court have been overshadowed by clashes between pro-Zuma groups, AfriForum and police officers. Thursday was no exception, although the scenes outside the court were a little calmer than before.
This most recent visit to court was over before it began, however. The defence says they haven’t had enough time to review all the evidence and were granted a postponement until 26 October 2018.
Why is Duduzane Zuma on trial?
If you’re having trouble keeping up with Dudu’s legal troubles., that’s totally understandable. Zuma is also facing corrupting charges relating to the infamous R600m bribe offer that was made to then-Deputy Finance Minister Mcebisi Jonas, on behalf of the Gupta family.
Last month, he turned himself in to the Specialised Crimes Court in Johannesburg, before being released on bail. This particular case has been postponed until 2019, but Duduzane may not even be a free man by then.
He lost control of his Porsche and slammed into a taxi, claiming the lives of two women. The NPA, however, failed to prosecute Duduzane Zuma in the initial hearing in 2015.
Zuma hired a top-class lawyer to squash any attempt at prosecution, paying Gary Mazaham R700 000 for his expertise. After settling R7 000 in speeding fines, the NPA decided to drop the investigation due to a “lack of evidence”.
However, AfirForum managed to get the NPA’s decision overturned, leading a private prosecution against the most notorious son of the Zuma family.
Jacob Zuma back in court, but only as support
On Thursday, the court appearance was a bit of a dud. Once again, it was external events that grabbed the headlines. We saw Jacob Zuma laughing and joking with his son in the dock, after showing up at the courthouse to support Duduzane.
[WATCH] Former President Jacob Zuma is in court to support his son #DuduzaneZuma. He tells me he is fine. #sabcnews pic.twitter.com/TReSWsKmGZ
— Chriselda Lewis (@Chriseldalewis) August 23, 2018
Meanwhile, BLF – the biggest Zuma cheerleaders in South Africa – also showed up to Randburg. As always, there’s really not much worth reporting about these guys. But their beef with AfirForum is the closest we’ll get to grabbing the popcorn…
[WATCH] #DuduzaneZuma BLF leader Andile Mngxitama had a few words to share about Afriforum. [KS] pic.twitter.com/SIquPC0McQ
— EWN Reporter (@ewnreporter) August 23, 2018
