Former South African president Jacob Zuma’s son Duduzane has been summoned to appear in court next week to answer homicide charges over a fatal car crash in 2014.
State prosecutors initially decided not to charge Duduzane after his Porsche 911 sports car plowed into a minivan taxi in Johannesburg, killing one woman and seriously injuring another who later died in hospital.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) reversed its decision after Duduzane’s father was ousted as head of state by the ruling African National Congress in February, reports Reuters.
Prosecutors initially gave Duduzane Zuma two months to say why he should not be prosecuted, but said he had failed to do so by the deadline at the end of March. They said in April they would charge Duduzane with culpable homicide.
Phindi Mjonondwane, a spokeswoman for the NPA said on Tuesday that Duduzane had been summoned to appear at the Randburg Magistrate’s Court in Johannesburg on July 12 and that prosecutors expected him to attend.
Attempts to reach Duduzane, who rarely speaks to the media, were unsuccessful. His lawyer was not immediately available for comment.
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’.