Former South African President’s Son, Duduzane Zuma, Denies Corruption

Protestors hold a sign depicting the link between Atul Gupta and Former President Zuma during Zuma Must Fall marches in 2017. (Wikimedia Commons)

Duduzane Zuma, the son of former South African President Jacob Zuma, testified at a judicial commission on October 7, denying allegations of bribery and corruption. These charges were levelled against him in July 2018. In response, he has decided to sue the National Prosecuting Authority and the police for improper arrest.

Zuma has had another major trial recently, in which he faced charges of culpable homicide and negligent driving for a 2014 incident in which his Porsche crashed into a minibus, killing one woman and injuring another. He was acquitted in 2018 due to a lack of sufficient evidence. 

Former deputy finance minister Mcebisi Jonas informed the inquiry about a meeting in 2015. At this meeting, he was offered $40 million and the position of finance minister if he assisted the wealthy Indian Gupta family in their business interests. Duduzane Zuma was accused of organizing the meeting and facilitating the bribery, as he is a business partner of the Gupta brothers. The Guptas have also been accused of using their relationship to former President Zuma to facilitate state contracts throughout South Africa until Zuma’s ousting in February 2018. 

Zuma admitted that he did organize a meeting with Mcebisi Jonas at a Gupta residence in Johannesburg in 2015, but he denied almost all other details. He has followed in his father’s footsteps: undermining the corruption inquiry by giving evasive testimonies and claiming that the media’s coverage of the accusation prevented a fair and equal trial. 

Zuma has recently decided to sue the police and the National Prosecuting Authority for improper arrest, as he claims there was no specific complaint against him. His recent appearance in court caused outrage across South African social media, as he came bound in iron shackles, sparking dialogue over the mistreatment of black suspects in South African courts. 

The case is perceived as a proxy for factional battles within the African National Congress, as the current president, Cyril Rampahosa, has sworn to end corruption in South Africa. Consequently, it is unclear whether the Zumas will be tried fairly. Duduzane said of the trials, “I believe I am unfortunately caught in a political storm.”