Zuma's son hit puddle, lost control, struck taxi

President Jacob Zuma's son Duduzane hit a deep pool of water with his Porsche before he crashed into a minibus, an inquest into the death of one of its passengers heard on Tuesday (04/11/2014).

"The visibility was bad, then my vehicle lost control. I felt it hitting something but at that stage I didn't see what it was," Warrant Officer Jimmy Ngubeni read from Zuma's statement in the Randburg Magistrate's Court, Johannesburg.

Ngubeni took statements from both Zuma and the minibus driver, Jabulani Dlamini following the accident in February.

Zuma said after he hit the pool of water he lost control of his car and hit the back of the taxi. The Porsche spun and came to a stop facing oncoming traffic.

He called a friend and asked them to call emergency services after he realised people in the taxi had been injured. He did not go to a doctor despite sustaining injuries to his left ribs.

According to Dlamini's statement Zuma's silver Porsche went from the far right lane to the far left lane and collided with his taxi.

"It [the taxi] spun twice, hit the barrier, fell on the ground, and then stood on its wheels," Ngubeni read.

Zuma sat in the second row of the court room's public gallery. Wearing a grey suit and black tie he alternated between clasping his hands in his lap and sitting with his right foot on his left knee.

Earlier, the inquest heard that the woman killed in the accident died from extensive blunt force.

"Phumzile Dube died from extensive blunt force trauma, with extensive injuries to the internal organs of the chest and abdomen and multiple fracture blood loss," prosecutor Yusuf Baba told the inquest.

He was going through the undisputed evidence and quoting from senior forensic officer Shakira Holland's post mortem report.

However, Baba said it was disputed whether the taxi rolled after Zuma's car struck it in Rivonia in February.

The inquest is expected to run until November 14.

At the time of the accident, Johannesburg metro police spokesman Chief Superintendent Wayne Minnaar said the Porsche rear-ended the taxi on the M1 south off-ramp to Grayston Drive in Sandton.

Three people were injured. The inquest heard that one of those injured, Jeanette Mashaba, died in May, three months after the accident. Baba said they would not pursue an inquest into her death as she had died of natural causes. - Sapa