10 YEARS IMPRISONMENT FOR MAN RESPONSIBLE FOR ACCIDENT INVOLVING MINISTER’S FAMILY MEMBERS
The Ladysmith Regional Court has sentenced Celumusa Ngwenya (35), to an effective 10 years imprisonment after he pleaded guilty (Section 112) to six counts of culpable homicide. His plea relates to the motor vehicle accident that occurred on 17 July 2022, on the N11 highway, outside Ladysmith which claimed the lives of six people who were family members of Transport Minister, Sindisiwe Chikunga. The deceased were aged between 04 and 40 years old. Following the accident and Prosecutor-guided investigations, Ngwenya appeared in court in January 2024, on a summons.
In aggravation of sentence, Prosecutor Sathsha Budhram led the evidence of Adv. Makhosini Msibi from the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) who told the court that South Africa has approximately 12 541 vehicle-related accidents, costing the economy about R 198 billion. According to a vehicle tracker report handed into court, Ngwenya was driving at 158km/h in an 80km zone, and he overtook on a double barrier line, around a bend. Since all the six counts were taken as one for sentencing, Ngwenya will serve an effective 10-year imprisonment. Further, in terms of Section 34 of the National Road Traffic Act, his driver’s licence was cancelled.
The NPA welcomes the successful finalisation of this matter. We hope that the sentence sends out the necessary deterrent message to like-minded individuals.
