South Africa’s former President Jacob Zuma was involved in a car accident but escaped unhurt when a drunk driver collided with his “official armoured state vehicle,” police reported on Thursday evening.
The incident, which occurred in his home province of KwaZulu-Natal at around 18:40 local time, involved Mr. Zuma and his official protection team. Fortunately, no injuries were reported, and Mr. Zuma was safely evacuated to his residence.
A 51-year-old man has been arrested for “drunken driving as well as… reckless and negligent driving” following the collision.
Musa Mkhize, head of elections for Mr. Zuma’s uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) party, expressed suspicion that the crash was deliberate rather than accidental. He stated that they had been expecting such an incident and thanked the Presidential Protection Unit for keeping Mr. Zuma safe.
Mr. Zuma, 81, served as president from 2009 until 2018 when he stepped down due to corruption allegations, which he denies. He is entitled to an official protection team as a former president.
This incident occurred on the same day that the country’s electoral commission announced Mr. Zuma’s disqualification as a candidate in the upcoming general election on May 29th. His 15-month jail sentence for contempt of court, received in 2021, constitutionally excludes him from running.
With some opinion polls indicating that the ANC’s share of the vote could drop below 50% for the first time in 30 years, the emergence of the MK party, particularly in KwaZulu-Natal where Mr. Zuma holds significant influence, could further impact the ANC’s support.
