Zimbabwean pilot in PE hit-and-run case may be charged for expired visa

A Zimbabwean pilot who knocked over and killed a pedestrian on the Port Elizabeth beachfront before fleeing in the car he was driving allegedly hoodwinked his colleagues into believing he was in SA legally.

Judgment in Kelvin Zirema’s bail application was brought to a standstill in the Port Elizabeth magistrate’s court on Wednesday when the prosecution asked to reopen its case in respect of his status in the country at the time of the hit-and-run.

State prosecutor Melani Hammett said if Zirema’s employers had been aware that his visa had expired, then the state needed to explore additional criminal charges under the Immigration Act.

Hammett said she would call the investigating officer, Warrant Officer Johan Raubenheimer, to testify to this, as well as the effect a drunk driving conviction would have on his further employment prospects as a pilot.

Zirema, 32, had studied towards his pilot’s licence at the Aptrac Aviation Academy in Port Elizabeth and obtained his private pilot’s licence in March 2010. Since then, he had been in the process of accumulating flying hours to obtain his helicopter licence.

He had accordingly been assisting at the Algoa Flying Club and Helicopter Charter & Training CC on a part-time basis.

Helicopter Charter & Training’s John Huddlestone, who initially gave an affidavit in support of Zirema being released on bail, said on Wednesday had he known Zirema was in the country illegally he would not have given him a chance to fly.

Huddlestone said Zirema had worked for him as a volunteer.

Algoa Flying Club manager Sharon Mugridge said while she had always found Zirema to be responsible and a fundamentally good person, she had not known of his illegal status.

Zirema was arrested just hours after he hit two pedestrians at the intersection of Beach Road and La Roche Drive about 4am on May 12.

Anthony Agbo, 35, of Nigeria, died on the scene, while another pedestrian, a 26-year-old woman, was badly injured.

He then fled, but has since explained that he feared for his life and his intention had always been to hand himself over to the police.

He also admitted to having consumed two whiskeys and a shooter during the course of the previous night.

In one of the affidavits in support of Zirema’s application for bail, Huddlestone, 64, said he had met Zirema in 2014. He had always found Zirema to be “trustworthy, helpful, reliable and a likeable person”. Zirema had been in SA since August 2009 on a temporary permit.

His visa expired nine months ago and his passport was due to expire in August.

He faces provisional charges of culpable homicide, driving under the influence of alcohol, reckless and negligent driving, defeating the administration of justice and being in contravention of the immigration act.