Sibusiso Siyaya (28), the truck driver who was responsible for the Pongola crash that claimed 20 lives has been found guilty of murder by the high court sitting at the Pongola Magistrate's Court. The gruesome crash occurred in September 2022 and a total of 18 children and two adults died when the bakkie they were travelling in collided with a truck.

GUILTY

Siyaya is facing 20 counts of murder but was initially charged with culpable homicide, before it changed to murder. Siyaya was transporting coal from Mpumalanga to the Richards Bay Coal Terminal in KwaZulu-Natal when the accident happened. KZN National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Natasha Kara said Siyaya was not only found guilty of murder, but also found guilty of reckless and negligent driving and failure to perform duties of a driver after the accident. According to the post mortem, the deceased, the youngest being five years old, died from various injuries, including blunt head and chest trauma and head injuries.

FLIGHT RISK

Siyaya was denied bail in 2022 after the Pongola Magistrates Court found the state had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt that the truck driver was a flight risk who might abscond if released on bail. The court also found that it was not in the interest of justice to grant him bail, therefore bail was refused. During his court appearances in January, Siyaya had opposed the media's application to film or photograph the proceedings of his case, saying he feared for his safety and retaliation from the community. The matter was adjourned to Wednesday where sentencing proceedings are expected to take place.