OPINION

Duduzane Zuma to be prosecuted by Gerrie Nel

AfriForum and former top NPA prosecutor want to make sure 'everyone is equal before the law'

Duduzane Zuma to be prosecuted by Gerrie Nel

17 October 2017

Centurion - President Jacob Zuma son Duduzane Zuma will be the first person to be hauled before AfriForum's private prosecuting unit, the union announced on Tuesday.

Former NPA prosecutor, Nel who joined the union this year confirmed that papers have been filed to pursue a culpable homicide case against Duduzane. Nel said the victim Phumzile Dube  was killed died in February 2014, after Zuma’s Porsche collided with the taxi in which she was travelling.An inquest found that Duduzane was negligent but the NPA declined to prosecute. The family had received only R5000 from the taxi association, and no other compensation.

"There has been no support and no financial compensation for the family whatsoever," Nel said

Nel said they wanted to make sure everyone is equal before the law. He  said he is very proud of the family to allow justice to be served.

"For us it's equally before the law, there is no selective prosecutions."

Kallie Kriel from Afriforum said:''Nobody is above the law and not even if your surname is Zuma, or if your father is the president of the country.''The National Prosecuting Agency (NPA) decided on 18 August 2015 not to prosecute Zuma, despite the fact that Magistrate Lalitha Chetty had found during a formal judicial inquest into the death, that there was prima facie evidence that Dube's death had been caused by Zuma's negligent actions.

Nel had submitted an application to the NPA on behalf of the Dube family to obtain a nolle prosequi certificate, a formal notice confirming that the a matter would not be pursued by the authority.

He said as soon as Afriforum received the certificate, the process to prosecute Zuma would begin.

"There exist no valid grounds for the NPA to decline to prosecute Zuma, and the Dube's family deserves that justice is served and that the case is not treated differently as a result of who the perpetrator is," Nel said.

News24