Ri˜Er in sErious ACCi†Ent rE“uEsts For mE†iAtor
MBABANE – “I fear meeting the car owner alone, may we have a mediator during the talks.”
This was said by Solomon Mbhamali when ordered to meet Nhlanhla Mtsetfwa concerning compensation after the latter’s car was declared beyond repairs, in two garages. Mtsetfwa’s Toyota Vitz was declared beyond repairs after it collided with a Mazda 3 driven by Mbhamali. It is said that Mbhamali, who was subsequently arrested and charged with negligent driving, drove negligently and lost control of the car, resulting in it colliding with Mtsetfwa’s vehicle. The charge sheet reflected that Mtetfwa sustained injuries along with five of his passengers onboard. The six were rushed to the Mbabane Government Hospital where they were treated and discharged.
The Crown applied that Mbhamali compensates Mtsetfwa. The Crown also presented two quotations from two different garages which pointed out that Mtsetfwa’s car was beyond repairs. “I fear meeting the car owner alone. May we have someone to mediate during the course of the negotiations,” he requested. In response, the Crown advised Mbhamali to see the investigating officer concerning mediation. The matter was adjourned to June 16, 2022 for judgment.
Meanwhile, a livestock owner investigated his missing cow after he found remains of a carcass next to the public road; little did he know that his investigations will lend him into trouble.
Ntokozo Sibandze (53) of Mahwalala was arrested and charged for allowing his cow to stray onto the public road. His arrest came after he identified himself as the owner of the stray cow that was knocked down by a Land Rover Discovery driven by Bheka Shivambo while at Manzana in Mbabane.
Sibandze told the court that he did his own investigations until he located Shivabho of Ezulwini. “I was told that, people were seen herding my cattle to the public road on the day and one cow was reportedly knocked down by the motor vehicle. When I went to the scene, I only discovered remains (umswane). I wondered why police officers failed to locate me as I was the only person with livestock in the area. I was told that the cow was injured before it was killed and chopped,” he submitted.
He told the court that he would have at least killed the cow and took it home had it not been for the looting. “I engaged Shivambo and we are in a process of negotiations towards fixing the motor vehicle,” he said.
Magistrate Chazile Thwala sentenced Sibandze to two years imprisonment with an option to pay a fine of E2 000. However, the sentence was wholly suspended for three years on condition, Sibandze was not convicted of a similar offence. Sibandze is the second resident of Mahwalala to claim that certain people of the area were seen driving livestock to the public road so that they could be knocked down by motorists and looted.