THE 28-year-old unlicensed driver, who on Sunday ploughed into a Nkulumane house with a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter commuter omnibus killing a five-year-old boy, yesterday appeared in court facing charges of culpable homicide and driving without a licence. PRESTIGE GAMA OWN CORRESPONDENT
Irvine Thabani Ndebele, whose head was bandaged, appeared before Western Commonage magistrate Temba Chimiso.
He indicated that he would plead guilty to the charges and was remanded in custody to October 9 for plea recording.
Prosecutor Whatmore Tembo told the court that on the fateful day, Ndebele took the car keys from his brother Sheperd Msimanga claiming that he wanted to listen to the radio before cleaning the vehicle.
In a statement, Msimanga denied giving Ndebele authority to drive his vehicle.
“I parked my car at my place at around 4am, switched off the engine and took off the keys to my bedroom leaving Ndebele and Gift in the car,” Msimanga said.
“After a few hours, Ndebele knocked at my door asking for the keys saying they wanted to listen to the radio as well as clean the vehicle and I handed over the keys to him.”
Msimanga said he was surprised when he woke up and found Gift sitting in the house, Ndebele and the car missing.
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“I asked where the car was and Gift said Ndebele had driven out with it and had promised to come back before I woke up,” he said.
“After a while I received a call from Ndebele’s mother saying we should meet at Nkulumane Police Station and that Ndebele had been involved in a fatal accident which claimed the life of a young child.”
The boy had been playing outside with his friends and was killed by Ndebele in the sitting room.
Ndebele, who was speeding, lost control of the vehicle and uprooted the fence, ploughing into the house killing the boy before coming to a stop next to the neighbouring house.
The child died on the spot and angry residents meted instant justice on Ndebele before police took him away a few hours after the accident.
