The truck driver who is facing criminal charges in connection with the deadly 15-vehicle pile-up on the N3 freeway near the Mariannhill Toll Plaza has been released on bail under stringent conditions.
He has been identified as Vuso Tego, 42.
Four people, including Pradhil Thakur-Rajbansi and his fiancée Priyanka Nundkumar, the son and daughter-in-law of Minority Front leader (MF) Shameen Thakur-Rajbansi, were killed in the horror crash, when the truck’s brakes allegedly failed and he lost control of the vehicle on the freeway. The crash occurred on the eastbound carriageway travelling towards Durban.
National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson, Natasha Kara, said the suspect had appeared briefly in the Pinetown Magistrates Court on Friday where he was facing charges of culpable homicide and negligent driving.
“The accused appeared in court today for address verification and bail consideration. His address was verified and he does have a stable job and stable residence, and it was verified that he does live there,” Kara said.
The suspect, who is a Zimbabwean citizen, was living and working legally in South Africa, Kara added.
“He is legally in the country and his papers are legitimate. Based on these reasons the court set bail at R10 000. His bail conditions are that he must notify the investigating officer should he want to leave the country, he must hand in his travel documentation, and he must report to the nearest police station twice a week.”
The matter was remanded to January 17, 2023 for further investigation.
KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison, Sipho Hlomuka, earlier said that the company that owned the truck "must be taken to task should it be found that there were some defects in the vehicle".
He raised concern about the high number of accidents involving trucks.
"We welcome the fact that the driver is going to be facing charges. We also want action to be taken against the truck company. This must send a clear message to all truck drivers and all road users that those who are killing people on the roads have no space in our province,” Hlomuka said.
He added that his department was working on developing a plan to focus on road safety regarding heavy vehicles, including checking driver documentation, truck roadworthiness of the truck, and other compliance issues.
“We will also be engaging with the trucking industry to agree on fundamental safety improvement plans, compliance and monitoring of their drivers,” Hlomuka said.
