Jacob Zuma: 51-year-old man arrested for drunken driving after ex-president involved in car crash

A 51-year-old man whose vehicle collided with the State vehicle of former President Jacob Zuma and caused an accident has been arrested.

This was confirmed by the South African Police Service (SAPS) in KwaZulu-Natal on Friday, 29 March.

JACOB ZUMA SURVIVES CAR ACCIDENT

SAPS spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said the accident happened on the R66 on Thursday around 18:40.

Netshiunda said a 51-year-old man has been arrested for drunken driving as a well as on a charge of reckless and negligent driving.

“The man’s motor vehicle collided with former President Jacob Zuma’s official armoured state vehicle. At the time of the collision, former President Zuma was in the vehicle with his protectors.

“No one was injured including members of the Presidential Protection Services (PPS). Zuma was evacuated and taken to his residence,” Mathe explained.

It is understood that Zuma was travelling from Nkandla to eShowe to campaign for his uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) Party.

The 51-year-old man has been detained and is expected to appear before the Eshowe Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, 2 April.

MK PARTY TO APPEAL IEC DECISION

Zuma’s accident comes as the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party confirmed that it will appeal the Independent Electoral Commission’s (IEC) decision to remove Zuma from its parliamentary list.

MK Party spokesperson, Nhlamulo Ndlela, said they were not aware of the merits of the IEC’s decision to uphold the decision to prohibit Zuma from standing as one of its candidates for parliament.

On Thursday, the IEC said it received over 80 objections to the candidacy of parliamentary nominees from several parties, including the MK Party.

Eight of those candidates were found to have criminal records, including Zuma. The former ANC President was nominated by his newly formed MK party as its number one candidate to the National Assembly.