An accident reconstruction expert, in the culpable homicide trial of Duduzane Zuma, has told the Randburg Magistrates’ Court, north of Johannesburg, that the photographs of both the vehicles involved in the crash show that Zuma was not speeding.
Former President Jacob Zuma’s son is facing one count of culpable homicide and another of reckless and negligent driving.
He was initially charged with two counts of culpable homicide, however, the second count was withdrawn when the trial commenced in March.
Duduzane’s vehicle crashed into a minibus taxi on the M1 highway in January 2014, resulting in the death of Phumzile Dube.
In his testimony, Forensic Engineer and Accident Reconstruction Expert Konrad Lotter told the court that based on damages to the taxi and Zuma’s Porsche; it clearly shows that Zuma was not driving at a high speed.
He says that if Zuma was speeding, as passengers of the taxi testified earlier in the trial, it wouldn’t have been possible for him to crash into the taxi and he would have passed the taxi when he lost control.
As he wrapped up his cross-examination of Zuma earlier, State prosecutor Yusuf Baba told the court of discrepancies in Zuma’s testimony regarding the speed he was traveling at, at the time of the crash.
Baba says on his insurance claim, Zuma states that he was traveling at an estimated speed of 70 kilometres an hour, while in his court testimony he says he states that he had been traveling at an estimated speed of 90 to 100 kilometres an hour.
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