Taxi driver still behind bars

The taxi driver who allegedly dragged Johannesburg advocate Kim McCusker along a road under his vehicle has been granted R5000 bail but remains in jail because his relatives were unable to raise the amount.

Matume Thamaga, 30, a single father of two, spent last night in Johannesburg Prison .

Thamaga has been in custody since Tuesday last week following an argument between him and McCusker's fiance, Lourens Grobler, in Lonehill, northern Johannesburg.

Grobler allegedly assaulted Thamaga after their cars almost collided.

Grobler allegedly got out of his car, broke a taxi window with his fist and assaulted Thamaga.

McCusker is reported to have stood in front of the taxi to prevent the driver leaving.

Thamaga maintains that he did not see her and his taxi collided with her while he was trying to flee from Grobler, who was allegedly hitting and throttling him.

McCusker was dragged along the road by the taxi for several hundred metres.

Grobler is said to have lost his grip on Thamaga's neck when the taxi hit the pavement and returned to the road.

Thamaga is said to have stopped his vehicle when security guards alerted him to the fact that a woman was trapped beneath it.

Delivering his bail ruling, Randburg magistrate Vincent Pienaar said it would not be in the interest of justice to keep Thamaga in custody until next week.

Pienaar had initially postponed his bail decision until September 30 to allow the investigating officer to obtain a statement from McCusker.

But prosecutor Khutso Ramaselele told the court that the investigating officer had not been given access to her and was being "sent from pillar to post".

Thamaga's advocate, Oliver Moeti, pleaded with Pienaar to be lenient when granting bail, saying that his client earned only R500 a week.

Pienaar said that, though Thamaga was innocent until proved guilty, there were questions he had to answer.

McCusker's lawyers have appealed to the public to disregard an e-mail describing the extent of her injuries and asking people to pray for her.

"I think it is absurd that someone can send out an e-mail like that," said attorney Liad Hadar. "We have been hired to protect her privacy and, for the sake of her privacy, that e-mail is false.

"She is in a serious condition and slightly improving.

"We do not know the origin of this e-mail."

The trial was postponed to November 4 to allow further investigation.