South African prosecutors will charge former president Jacob Zuma’s son Duduzane with homicide after a 2014 car crash that left one woman dead, a spokesman said on Thursday, reversing a previous decision not to do so.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) gave Duduzane Zuma a two-month deadline that expired at the end of March to make representations as to why he should not be prosecuted, but he failed to do so, spokesman Luvuyo Mfaku said.
“He will be charged with culpable homicide,” Mfaku said.
Attempts to reach Duduzane, who rarely speaks to the media, were unsuccessful. His lawyers could also not be reached.
State lawyers initially decided not to prosecute Duduzane after his Porsche 911 sports car ploughed into a minivan taxi in Johannesburg, killing Phumzile Dube and seriously injuring two others, police said at the time.
In October, rights group Afriforum said it would privately prosecute Duduzane Zuma, if the public prosecutor did not. The NPA has since reversed its initial decision.
During an inquest in 2014, Duduzane said his car hit a puddle and he lost control` veering into the taxi` which in turn smashed into a barrier, describing the incident as “tragic”.
It was not immediately clear when the case against Duduzane Zuma would be brought in court, Mfaku said. (Reporting by Mfuneko Toyana and James Macharia Editing by Robin Pomeroy)