A shackled Duduzane Zuma appeared in the Johannesburg Commercial Crimes Court yesterday morning. A News24 report says the son of former President Jacob Zuma has been charged with corruption, alternatively conspiracy to commit corruption, relating to an alleged R600m offer made to former Deputy Finance Minister Mcebisi Jonas in 2015 by Ajay Gupta, in Duduzane's presence.

Gupta allegedly offered Jonas the position of Finance Minister at the family's Saxonwold compound. ‘Mr Ajay Gupta further offered an amount of R600m to be deposited in a bank account of his choice and R600 000 in cash immediately to assist him and his companies in their business ventures with government,’ the charge sheet reads.

The state alleges that Duduzane was a party to the crime because he was present. Magistrate Jeremy Jansen van Vuuren granted Duduzane R100 000 bail. He has also been instructed to hand over his passport to the investigating officer and – if he wishes to travel – he must first seek permission.

The prosecutor stated that a lengthy postponement was required to finalise the investigation. The matter was postponed to 24 January 2019. He could be facing more than the corruption charges, notes a Business Day report. According to the charge sheet, he is a director of, among others, Gupta-owned Westdawn Investments, which is implicated in the Estina dairy farm matter.

It is also stated in the charge sheet that the Free State Department of Agriculture was one of the state departments the companies had done business with. This, suggests Business Day, means that Zuma could find himself facing separate charges in the dairy farm matter. A number of Gupta family associates and linked companies are already facing charges of corruption in the Free State High Court.

It is understood there will be arrests in the second stage of the Estina investigation.

Full News24 report

Full Business Day report