Johannesburg -
An inspection of the road used by Duduzane Zuma on the night he crashed into a minibus taxi will show whether it was possible for water to collect at the point he said it did, an inquest heard on Monday.
Prosecutor Yusuf Baba and Zuma disagreed on where the decline started between the M1 south, Woodmead, Marlboro, and the Grayston Drive, Sandton, off-ramp, the Randburg Magistrate's Court heard.
“If there were to be a water build-up it would have to be between Woodmead and Marlboro,” Baba said.
“I disagree,” the president's son replied.
“From Woodmead to Marlboro it is still relatively flat. The decline is between Marlboro and Grayston.
“So the point of water collection I believe would be more possible at the Grayston area as opposed to Marlboro,” Zuma said.
Zuma's Porsche rear-ended Jabulani Vusi Dlamini's minibus taxi in the rain on the M1 south Grayston Drive off-ramp on February 1 around 10pm. Minibus passenger Phumzile Dube was killed and three others were injured.
According to Zuma's statement, he lost control of his Porsche after it hit a puddle. It spun and hit the back of the taxi, coming to a standstill facing oncoming traffic.
The Johannesburg metro police was asked to escort the legal teams on the route.
“Would you agree that had you not lost control and not bumped the taxi the accident wouldn't have happened?” Prosecutor Yusuf Baba asked earlier.
“I agree,” Duduzane Zuma said.
He said he could not hold minibus taxi driver Jabulani Vusi Dlamini responsible for the collision.
When asked how fast he was driving on the night of February 1, Zuma said he could only estimate that he was driving between 90 and 120km between the highway and the Grayston off-ramp where the accident took place.
Baba said bills from the e-toll gantries on the N1 highway near Rivonia would show the court the speed and time that Zuma's Porsche and Dlamini's taxi were travelling at on the highway.
Zuma, in a blue suit, a light blue striped shirt, and a navy blue tie, stood in the witness box.
Dlamini was sitting in the third row of the public gallery.
Zuma's Porsche rear-ended Dlamini's minibus taxi in the rain on the M1 south off-ramp to Grayston Drive, Sandton. Minibus passenger Phumzile Dube was killed and three others were injured.
According to Zuma's statement, he lost control of his Porsche after it hit a puddle. It spun and hit the back of the taxi, coming to a standstill facing oncoming traffic.
In July, the National Prosecuting Authority said it declined to prosecute Zuma due to insufficient evidence.
Spokesman Nathi Mncube said at the time the matter would be referred to a magistrate for a formal inquest to determine whether the accident was caused by human error. - Sapa