Mninikhaya Mvuli, the driver responsible for the deaths of six children in Mitchells Plain in May 2023, has been sentenced to five years’ imprisonment and banned from driving for 10 years.
The 58-year-old was sentenced in the Mitchells Plain Regional Court on Thursday, 26 September 2024.
Mvuli was convicted on six counts of culpable homicide for negligently driving a bakkie whilst transporting learners to schools in the Mitchells Plain area. His vehicle struck a tree and traffic lights, mounted a traffic island, and collided with a bus before coming to rest on AZ Berman Drive. Six learners, aged between seven and 14, lost their lives.
Court rejects guilty plea
National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said Mvuli initially pleaded guilty under the Criminal Procedure Act, but the court entered a not-guilty plea after questioning him.”The court was not satisfied that the accused fully admitted negligence, as he did not admit to the speed at which he was travelling or how he was driving,” explained Ntabazalila.
Medical condition revealed
The court heard that doctors had diagnosed Mvuli with seizures in 2022 and prescribed medication. Medical professionals had prohibited him from driving.
The defence admitted that a reasonable person diagnosed with seizures would not have driven a vehicle, and that Mvuli had acted negligently by doing so.
“In his plea, the accused claimed he lost consciousness whilst driving and only regained awareness when police were restraining him. He realised he had caused an accident and suffered what he described as a blackout,” said Ntabazalila.
Call for caution
Western Cape Director of Public Prosecutions Nicolette Bell welcomed the sentence and urged scholar transport drivers to exercise extreme caution when transporting “the most precious cargo—our children”.
She assured the public that the NPA would continue to vigorously prosecute any driver who acts negligently and endangers vulnerable road users.
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