Gauteng Prime Minister Panyaza Lesufi.
Gallo Images/Luba Lesolle
- The Gauteng government has expressed disappointment at the non-judicial appearance of the trucker who allegedly caused the deaths of 26 people.
- Prime Minister Panyaza Lesufi has called for the case to be quickly registered in the courts.
- Lesufi gave the police and the Public Ministry until Friday to register the case.
Gauteng Prime Minister Panyaza Lesufi has told police and the National Prosecution Authority (NPA) to quickly register the case against the driver whose gas tanker explosion allegedly killed 26 people inside and outside the Tambo Memorial Hospital.
Lesufi reacted to the news that the police and NPA have decided not to criminally charge the driver.
He was expected to appear before the Boksburg Magistrate Court on Tuesday.
However, the case could not proceed because it was not placed on the list.
The driver was transporting what was believed to be liquefied petroleum gas when the explosion occurred.
Addressing the media while visiting bereaved families, Lesufi said the death toll had risen from 18 to 26.
“It is with a heavy heart that the driver has been released from police custody. I immediately sought an explanation from the police and the NPA. They gave me a detailed description.
“They believe that their evidence would be complicated in order to have the necessary documentation to convince the magistrate to make a decision [to prosecute]. They were only done with the charges of reckless driving and destruction of state property.
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“They believe the driver could face a lesser charge. They want to gather the necessary evidence. The truck owner is cooperating with the information they need.
“They believe the suspect will appear in court this week. I have accepted their explanation. They need to act quickly. Families are demanding answers. It is difficult to postpone our explanation to bereaved families.”
Lesufi said the Gauteng Police Commissioner, Lt. Gen. Elias Mawela, assured him that they had strengthened their team of investigators.
“We want the matter to be properly registered in court. We will continue to offer support to the families. South Africans would be disappointed to learn that the only charge that can be brought to court was reckless driving, while people lost their lives. There’s a forensic report being processed by the police.
“There is a specific report that you would get from the trucking company. The police must analyze the chemical that was transporting the truck. There is also a report that you would get from the engineers.
“The police are tightening their case. We have given them until Friday to register the case. we are 26 [dead] bodies. We need more staff to deal with the case. We are standing by in case there are any delays,” she added.
families
“We must provide answers to the families. I am monitoring this case. We have unleashed all relevant resources to help the police. The company and the driver are fully cooperating. The company has made introductions to me.”
“They wanted to play a certain role. They are willing to help with funerals. They are willing to cooperate with the police. We are not dealing with difficult people.”
“The last 48 hours have been extremely difficult. We have started the difficult path of visiting all bereaved families. The hard part was when we visited some of them. Some received the sad news of the death of their relatives in our presence. That made our task extremely difficult.
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“Unfortunately, the numbers are increasing. They are increasing at an alarming rate. We have agreed that only numbers verified by the police will be published.”
“The police have confirmed that we are at 26. We have lost 26 people to the tragedy. It is getting more difficult every day. A family wants to bury their four deceased loved ones in Malawi. We are making arrangements to bring their bodies to Malawi “.
Lesufi said police believed a murder charge should be the main charge against the driver.
