The son of South Africa’s ex-President Jacob Zuma will appear in two separate court cases this week after returning to the country to attend his brother’s funeral, adding to the controversy around the former ruling family’s activities.
Duduzane Zuma, 34, has been asked to appear in the Specialized Commercial Crimes Court in Johannesburg on Monday, his lawyer Rudi Krause said by phone on Sunday.
The Sunday Times newspaper reported that a special police unit known as the Hawks was preparing corruption charges against the former president’s son for his role in the attempted bribing of the country’s former Deputy Finance Minister Mcebisi Jonas.
“At this point in time we do not know what the case relates to,” Krause said. Neither Duduzane Zuma nor his lawyer has further responded to the accusations yet.
Duduzane Zuma is a business partner of the Gupta family, headed by three brothers, who left South Africa earlier this year after being accused of using their political connections to influence government decisions and loot state coffers. Jacob Zuma and the Guptas have denied any wrongdoing.
The former president’s son has also been summoned to appear in court on July 12, for culpable homicide, according to his attorneys. The case relates to a car accident in 2014 in which Zuma’s Porsche collided with a minibus taxi, resulting in the death of a passenger.