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Duduzane Zuma unable to control car: Expert

President Jacob Zuma's son Duduzane Zuma would not have been able to control his car even if he travelled at a lower speed, an inquest heard on Wednesday.

"Even if he travelled at a lower speed than he did on that night in those conditions, he would still not be able to control his car after hitting a puddle," said accident reconstruction expert, Johannes Petrus Strydom.

In his statement, Zuma said he lost control of his Porsche after it hit a puddle. It spun and hit the back of the taxi, coming to a standstill facing oncoming traffic.

Zuma's car rear-ended Jabulani Vusi Dlamini's minibus taxi on a rainy night in February. Passenger Phumzile Dube was killed and three others were injured.

The accident happened on the M1 south off-ramp to Grayston Drive in Sandton.

Gary Mazanam, for Zuma, asked Strydom what would have happened if Zuma applied breaks after hitting the puddle.

"It is extremely dangerous for a vehicle of this technology (Porsche) to just hit breaks suddenly. That would aggravate the circumstances much more," Strydom said.

He further explained how a vehicle steering wheel jerked when the tyres hit water on the road.

In July, the National Prosecuting Authority said it declined to prosecute Zuma due to insufficient evidence. The matter would be referred to a magistrate for a formal inquest to determine whether the accident was caused by human error.

The inquest continues.

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