Duduzane Zuma trial court

(eNCA / Tshego Moagi / Twitter)

Duduzane Zuma verdict: Court throws out dismissal application

A new trial date has been set for Duduzane Zuma to face the music

Duduzane Zuma trial court

(eNCA / Tshego Moagi / Twitter)

The son of Jacob, Duduzane Zuma, appeared at the Randburg Magistrate’s Court on Friday to hear the verdict of his application to throw out the culpable homicide cases that were laid against him five years ago.

Phumzile Dube and Nanke Mashaba suffered fatal wounds after Zuma’s Porsche crashed into the back of a taxi in Sandton, Johannesburg, in 2014.

The former president’s son, since then, has been fighting off two culpable homicide charges that were filed against him as a direct result of the crash.

The basis of Mashaba’s culpable homicide withdrawal

On Tuesday, the Magistrate’s court accepted the application, from the state, to drop the culpable homicide charge that is linked to the death of Mashaba.

Mashaba was barely hanging on to life when emergency medics arrived on the scene of the crash. The victim was later transported to a nearby hospital.

Mashaba was treated for two weeks but, for some reason, nothing could prevent the inevitable.

Mashaba passed away but the state believes that this was not due to Zuma’s recklessness in causing the crash. There may have been a pre-existing medical condition that was the cause of Mashaba’s death.

ReadDuduzane Zuma trial: The carnage caused by his fatal car crash [photos]

Duduzane Zuma application for dismissal in Dube case

The second culpable homicide charge, however, was high on the agenda on Friday. Zuma’s defence, taking advantage of the momentum gained from Tuesday’s advancements, wanted all charges laid against him dropped.

They applied for a dismissal on the culpable homicide charge for the death of Dube. She, unlike Mashaba, died on the scene of the crash, as a direct result of Zuma’s direct or indirect actions.

Magistrate dismisses application, new trial date

The magistrate ruled that, although the state’s case has not offered any sufficient evidence, it would be unreasonable to throw the case out on that basis.

Therefore, Zuma’s bid to have the case thrown out was refused and the magistrate ordered that the trial continue.

Zuma is expected back in court on 15, 16 and 17 May, where he is expected to take the stand in his defence.