The National Prosecuting Authority has shed light on some of the prisoners who were at the back of a police van involved in a horrific accident on the M1 south in Johannesburg on Monday.
While eight inmates had been in the vehicle, NPA spokesperson, Phindi Mjonondwane could only account for three, who she said had just been sentenced to 15 years behind bars after being found guilty of a raft of charges, including dealing in drugs.
Mjonondwane identified the three as Sydney Bilankulu, 56, Courdel Khoza, 30, and Thabo Dikgale, 31.
“The Alexandra magistrate’s court sentenced [the trio] to 10 years and a further five years’ imprisonment on charges of dealing in drugs, possession of drugs and defeating the ends of justice,” Mjonondwane said.
“The accused were charged together with Oscar Osigwe, who was sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment after pleading guilty, and entered into a plea agreement with the state. He thereafter testified against all accused,” she said.
It remains unclear if the trio were among the four prisoners confirmed to have died on the scene.
Officials have confirmed that one police officer and four of the eight prisoners died in the crash that brought the M1 near Melrose in Johannesburg to a standstill for hours.
Three vehicles — a Nissan NP300 SAPS bakkie, Ford Ranger and Mercedes-Benz — were involved in the crash at about 4.15pm just after the Corlett Drive off-ramp on Monday.
According to Gauteng police, the driver of a Ford Ranger bakkie allegedly lost control “amid a road rage incident with another vehicle, causing him to collide with a police vehicle transporting prisoners from court”.
“The police bakkie had eight male prisoners, two female prisoners and the driver,” Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi said in a statement.
“Three male prisoners, one female prisoner and the driver [police officer] were declared dead on the scene, while other victims, including the driver of the Ford Ranger, were taken to hospital with injuries.”
The Ranger was confirmed to have had four occupants, one male, one female and two children — a girl and boy. They were seriously injured.
The driver of the Mercedes was the only occupant and did not sustain any injuries.
Witnesses took to social media to describe the horrific scene that resulted in the hours-long closure of the road.
TimesLIVE Premium reached out to one person who passed the scene shortly after the accident happened, and he explained that he saw three or four bodies lying across the highway.
It’s definitely among the more gruesome scenes we’ve dealt with, but we’ve dealt with worse scenes. And of course, when a law enforcement member loses his life in the company of suspects it’s not a nice thing. It’s a reality check for a lot of the officers and security guys that respond.
— Yaseen Theba from Vision Tactical
“It was not a nice sight to see,” said Mantlebere Mpe.
One of the first responders at the scene, Yaseen Theba from Vision Tactical, told TimesLIVE Premium they were alerted to the accident by multiple sources just after 4.30pm.
Theba explained that the focus was on treating the injured while also trying to figure out who was who among the injured and deceased.
Describing the scene, Theba said: “It’s among the worst we’ve seen. Unfortunately, especially on the M1, we witness too many minibus taxi accidents and ... and when you’re dealing with [that kind of] accident, sometimes it’s 20-24 people in that accident.
“It’s definitely among the more gruesome scenes we’ve dealt with, but we’ve dealt with worse scenes. And of course, when a law enforcement member loses his life in the company of suspects it’s not a nice thing. It’s a reality check for a lot of the officers and security guys that respond,” he said.
Theba was reluctant to delve into the road rage allegations.
He confirmed that the Johannesburg public safety MMC Mgcini Tshwaku visited the scene as he was travelling along the same route.
Despite the challenges responders faced while attending to the scene, including getting through the traffic leading up to the crash and dealing with bystanders crowding the scene, Theba heaped praise on the amazing work done by all the responders.
“The response was amazing, considering where it took place. The guys worked quickly considering the circumstances. We know how long it can take for things like this to clear up and to transport so many people to hospital,” he said.
Police are investigating a case of culpable homicide.
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