A new set of creditors is hot on the trail of controversial businessman Khulubuse Zuma, and he is at risk of immediate arrest.
A nephew of President Jacob Zuma, the larger-than-life businessman, who hails from Nkandla, is known to spend up to R30 000 a night at his favourite social hot spot, Cubana, in Durban’s Florida Road, in Morningside.
Given to running up massive drinks bills because of his penchant for Johnnie Walker whisky and other top-end alcoholic beverages, Zuma is also known to leave generous tips.
The Mercury understands that twin sisters who waitressed at Cubana once pocketed R7 000 each on the same night for serving his table.
However, Zuma, who has 18 vehicles registered in his name, has not been so generous with the city’s traffic officials, and he owes the eThekwini metro police R28 950 in outstanding fines. Of this total, warrants for fines amounting to R10 000 have been issued.
Metro sources say the traffic penalties date back to January 2010 and although most of the fines hover around the R100 mark, some go up to R1 500.
Metro police have already issued several warrants of arrest for him.
The police recently stepped up their visibility campaign and more roadblocks, in the day and at night, have been set up around the municipality.
Officials say that the usual procedure would be to arrest drivers immediately without the option of a fine if they were stopped at a roadblock and there was an existing warrant for their arrest.
Spokesman Eugene Msomi said despite two amnesty periods in the past, metro police were still owed about R1.3 billion in outstanding traffic fines from thousands of motorists.
He said it had become easier to pay traffic fines as several chain stores offered the facility, and debit and credit card payments could also be made at roadblocks.
In addition, the metro police had call centres, with agents who contacted those with outstanding fines. Reminders of outstanding fines were included on municipal bills, and officials were researching the possibility of sending SMS notifications to traffic offenders.
In April alone, the municipality had recovered R700 000 from companies. Msomi said speeding, parking meter violations and unlicensed vehicles topped the list of traffic offences in the metro.
However, in the case of Zuma, The Mercury understands that the fines and warrants are for alleged offences which include the absence of taxi rank permits, speeding, washing vehicles in the street, parking facing oncoming traffic, no operator card, disregarding traffic lights and no licence number plate.
None of the fines are for his customised Harley-Davidson motorcycle.
Last month, three BMWs and household furniture belonging to Zuma, a director of Aurora Empowerment Systems, were auctioned off to service the R10-million debt the company has with the Protea Coin Security company.
Trade union Solidarity has also threatened to serve Zuma and the other Aurora directors with court papers to recover the more than R4m that Aurora owes to about 100 miners.
Zuma could not be reached for comment. - The Mercury