Pongola horror crash: Truck driver found guilty on 20 counts of murder

The truck driver in the deadly Pongola crash that claimed the lives of 20 people, majority being school children, has been found guilty of murder.

After a three-week trial, the KwaZulu Natal High Court, sitting in Pongola, convicted Sibusiso Siyaya on 20 counts of murder.

The incident took place on September 16, 2022, where a total of 18 children and two adults died when the bakkie they were travelling in crashed head-on into a truck.

Siyaya, 28, was initially charged with culpable homicide, and then murder.

According to the State indictment Siyaya was employed as a heavy motor vehicle driver for a company that transported coal from Mpumalanga to the Richards Bay Coal Terminal in KwaZulu-Natal.

Speaking about the conviction on Tuesday, the National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson in KwaZulu-Natal, Natasha Kara said in addition to murder, Siyaya was found guilty of reckless and negligent driving and failure to perform duties of a driver after an accident.

According to the post-mortem, the deceased, with the youngest being five years old, died from various injuries, including blunt head and chest trauma and head injuries.

Following the deadly crash, Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula visited the crash site and released a report stating that the truck driver was reckless because he overtook on a barrier line and drove in the oncoming lane for 1.2 km, endangering the lives of motorists.

The matter was adjourned to Wednesday where sentencing proceedings are expected to take place.

-IOL News

In other news – Letoya Makhene on how doctors told her parents she would never have babies

Popular South African actress, singer, traditional doctor, and TV personality, Letoya Makhene celebrates Mother’s Day by reminiscing about how the doctors claimed she was infertile. The presenter is a mother to four children who are grown-ups.

Letoya shared photos of her kids on Instagram, as she gushed over her blessings. “I can’t get over the fact that I’ve been gifted in the most miraculous way. Read More

The post Pongola horror crash: Truck driver found guilty on 20 counts of murder appeared first on News365.co.za.