Closing arguments in Zuma’s inquest
RANDBURG – Closing arguments are heard from Sabelo Nobangula and Adv Dave Marais at the inquest involving Duduzane Zuma.
President Jacob Zuma’s son Duduzane Zuma and Jabulani Vusi Dlamini appeared again at an inquest held at the Randburg Magistrates’
Court.
State prosecutor and evidence leader Yusuf Baba continued his line of questioning directed to Johannes Strydom on 13 November.
In said questioning he made the statement, ”You are supposed to be an independent expert witness to the court, yet you have not once touched on Mr Zuma’s testimony.”
Strydom had contradicting statements in his testimony when he referred to the term ‘defensive driving’.
Strydom previously explained what he thought a defensive driver would have done in the situation, however, the first time he had seen the Johannesburg Traffic departments’ handbook on defensive driving was during the inquest.
Overall he discussed the difference in calculation regarding the distance between the reaction time of stopping and the actual breaking time
in wet weather.
Strydom concurred that he believed in his expert opinion that it is safe to drive between 90km to 100km in wet weather, ”It depends on the
personal skill [experience of the driver].”
Magistrate Lalita Chetty directed questions to Strydom asking, ”Do you not attribute any blame to Mr Zuma?” Strydom retorted, ”Myself as a defensive driver would have landed up in the same situation.”
The closing arguments by defence lawyer for Jabulani Vusi Dlamini (minibus driver) Sabelo Nobangula and the family’s representative Advocate Dave Marais were presented to the court.
Nobangula stated that the testimony heard from the JMPD officer Jeffrey Phogole did nothing to further the matter. The three witnesses
that testified confirmed Dlamini’s inability to avoid the accident as they stated, ”They did not know or see how the accident happened.”
Nobangula went further to discredit the expert witness testimony of Johannes Strydom accident reconstruction specialist.
”He failed to answer direct questions and gave long-winded answers,” continuing in saying the calibre of evidence by the expert is compared to the inaccuracies of Wikipedia.
Adv Marais agreed with most of the closing argument presented by Nobangula concurring the inaccuracies in Strydom’s evidence, arguing that his evidence should be dismissed.
The final closing arguments of Yusuf Baba and Gary Mazaham defence for Duduzane Zuma will be heard on 17 November at the Randburg
Magistrates’ Court. Thereafter Magistrate Chetty will set a date for her judgement in the matter.
