The 51-year-old man was arrested in KwaZulu Natal province. Neither Zuma nor his bodyguards were injured.
The accident took place hours after electoral authorities banned the ex-president from participating in the May 29 general election. The veteran of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) was forced from office in 2018 after being accused of corruption. In December, he announced he would campaign for the recently established opposition Umkhonto We Sizwe (MK) party, an attempt to revive his career.