Johannesburg - The driver of the car in which Nelson Mandela’s great-grandchild died during a crash has applied for charges against him to be dropped.
Sizwe Mankazana, his cousin Stacy-Lee Louters and Mandela’s great-granddaughter Zenani, 13, were returning from the World Cup kick-off concert on the morning of June 11, 2010 when the accident happened on the M1 North.
Mankazana’s Mercedes- Benz hit a damaged Amco barrier whose sharp edges were protruding and partially on the road. The edges got hooked on the car and penetrated it. That created a catapult effect that increased the speed, which ended in the car being airborne and spinning before landing. Mankazana and Louters were not injured but Zenani died.
Mankazana was charged with culpable homicide, driving under the influence of liquor, and reckless and negligent driving. He pleaded not guilty.
Mankazana’s lawyer, advocate Kenny Oldwage, said the state’s case rested on allegations that Mankazana failed to drive at a safe speed, failed to properly exercise the control of his car, failed to take necessary steps to prevent the accident, drove while under the influence of alcohol and the fact that the crash was a single-vehicle accident.
In applying for a discharge at the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on Monday, Oldwage said the state had failed to advance evidence in respect of the five grounds on which his client was being charged. - The Star