‘DD’ accident, driver fined E6 600
MBABANE – A drink-driver, who caused an accident while driving an unroadworthy motor vehicle, without a driver’s licence, was yesterday fined E6 600 at the Mbabane Magistrates Court.
:hen passing the sentence, Mbabane 3rincipal Magistrate Fikile 1hlabatsi told Thokozani Vilakati that the court had considered that he caused an accident while driving under the influence of alcohol.
Vilakati was arrested at around 12 50am at .a1cesi. The charge sheet pointed out that he encroached on the opposite lane, resulting in his Honda Fit knocking another vehicle. The police officers discovered that Vilakati had imbibed an alcoholic beverage when they attended to the accident. He recorded 1.06mg/l in his breath specimen.
Imprisonment
He was sentenced to two years imprisonment with an option to pay a fine of E5 000 for drink-driving. He was further sentenced to six months imprisonment with an option to pay a fine of E800 for driving without a licence. Vilakati was sentenced to six months with an option to pay a fine of E800 for driving the motor vehicle without a tax clearance. He was also sentenced to six months imprisonment for driving an unroadworthy vehicle.
&ount one, two and three were made to run concurrently, which means he parted with E6 600 in order to gain his freedom. 1hlabatsi reminded the drink-drivers, who contributed E43 000 to government coffers, that the purpose of the law was to remind all that drink-driving was a waste of money, considering the fines. She said the court had a duty to send a loud and clear message to offenders and other would-be offenders.
³It seems like motorists do as they please in the Mbabane corridor, Mudging from the alcohol content. Magistrate 1hlabatsi stated that all offenders would be sentenced equally, depending on their alcohol content. She made the emphasis when dealing with the case of 1hlanhla Lukhele, who pleaded for a lesser sentence, after he recorded 1.30mg/l on the alcoholmeter. Lukhele pleaded with the court not to exceed E2 000 in sentencing. ³I would have loved to mitigate before sentencing, because my shylock is already here with E2 000. May the fine not exceed E2 000, so that I can be able to pay. May the court allow me to pay the E2 000 balance on April 1 , 2024,´ he asked. This was after Lukhele had been sentenced to two years imprisonment with an option to pay a fine of E4 000. However, 1hlabatsi told the accused that experience had taught the court that people did not come back once granted deferred payment. She said it then became the burden of the police to locate and arrest the dishonest people.