THREE YEARS LATER, DRIVERS IN IMBALI CRASH APPEAR IN COURT

MANZINI – Three years after 11 maidens and two tindvuna (regiment leaders) were killed, the court will finally have the case tried.

Yesterday, the three drivers, Fraser Sigwili Ndzimandze (49) of Lwandle, Peter Sabatha Dlamini (50) of Siteki and Josiah Nkambule (57) of Nginamadvolo, appeared in court. The drivers have been officially charged with causing the horrific accident and one of them, Ndzimandze was charged with culpable homicide. All the accused persons appeared before Principal Magistrate David Khumalo, who had just returned from his two-month long leave, and will preside over the matter. During their court appearance, only Nkambule was represented by an attorney.

Postponed

Since the prosecution had not put its house in order, Principal Magistrate Khumalo ordered that the matter be postponed to March 14, 2018 when it would be heard. “This case has been on the court’s roll for long, it has to be finalised immediately. The incident occurred in 2015 and it is now 2018,” the magistrate said. Ndzimandze arrived in court driving the same government truck which was ferrying the killed and injured maidens on the day, registered GSD 187 NR.
After their remand, the drivers were all ordered to return to court next month for preparations of their trial. All three accused persons are alleged to have caused the accident during the annual Reed Dance ceremony in 2015. The girls were from cutting reed at Mphisi Farm and were on their way to Luve when the accident occurred. Ndzimandze spent some time in custody and was denied bail after it was announced that the admitted victims were critical and he would be freed after their full recovery.

Ndzimandze’s charge sheet states that on August 28, 2015, near Mahhala, the accused person, being a driver of a vehicle registered GSD 187 NR, an Isuzu truck, drove negligently and knocked from behind a Man truck registered S 572, driven by Sandile Sicelo Nyamane (30) of St George’s Barracks. Nyamane’s truck went further and knocked from behind a Man truck driven by one Andreas Msibi (50) of St George’s Barracks which also went and knocked from behind a Toyota LDV, driven by Nkambule (59) of Nginamadvolo. All three trucks were in a convoy escorting imbali regiment. Thirteen passengers from GSD 187 NR died on the spot, eight bodies were unidentified.

Admitted

The charge sheet further states that 50 passengers were rushed to the Raleigh Fitkin Memorial (RFM) Hospital, 19 to Mbabane Government Hospital while two were taken to the Manzini Clinic where they were treated and some admitted.

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