Pongola crash truck driver abandons bail application

The truck driver responsible for the Pongola horror crash that claimed the lives of 18 primary school pupils and two adults has been left disturbed by the incident.

Sibusiso Siyaya, 28, appeared in the Pongola Magistrate’s Court yesterday, where he was expected to make a bail application in connection with 20 counts of culpable homicide.

National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Natasha Kara said Siyaya had abandoned his application for bail.

His attorney, Nkosinathi Sithole, said he was instructed that Siyaya feared for his safety.

“It was my instruction from him that he fears for his safety and decided not to proceed with the bail application,” he said.

He said Siyaya was not in a good state of mind.

“He is not stable.

“I am a legal practitioner so I cannot for sure say anything about that but during consultation he was not good.

“He is also disturbed.”

Siyaya is the father of two children and is from Jozini, about 60km from Pongola.

Sithole placed himself on record as Siyaya’s legal representative yesterday.

Last week the driver opted for Legal Aid, despite not meeting the requirements.

The court ruled Siyaya could be photographed by the media after being denied permission to do so last week.

The case was postponed to October 25 for further investigation.

A report by the Road Traffic Management Corporation into the crash found Siyaya illegally overtook multiple vehicles and drove for about 1.2km in the oncoming lane before colliding with the vehicle ferrying children from the Victorious Independent

and Sakhumuzi primary schools.

His employer, Sabelo Masinga, sole director of Baobao Projects, which specialises in coal transportation, told TimesLIVE it was unclear what Siyaya had been doing at the time of the crash as the camera in the cabin of the coal truck was intentionally obscured.