Five months after crashing his McLaren 570S coupe while allegedly speeding down High-Level Road in Sea Point, a Nigerian rapper is finally set to have his day in court.
The accident happened early on Saturday 1 March. Two people sustained injuries after the driver allegedly lost control of the vehicle and hit the pavement.
Eric Ntabazalila, the regional spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), confirmed that the NPA will “prosecute the matter”.
The driver will face charges related to reckless or negligent driving.
“This follows an investigation that was conducted and the docket forwarded to the NPA for a decision. The last time I checked, this week, the summons had not been served to the accused yet and no date had been set for his appearance.”
Sgt Wesley Twigg, provincial police spokesperson, told People’s Post that the case docket is still at the office of the Senior State Prosecutor.
He said police are waiting “on the outcome of the decision”.
Herman Lategan, a journalist and writer who was raised in Sea Point and has lived in Green Point for the past forty years, said speeding on the Atlantic Seaboard has increased significantly over the years.
“What many drivers forget is that this is a built-up area, not a highway,” he explained. “There’s a shocking lack of visible policing or traffic enforcement. Where are the traffic officers? You rarely see them.”
Lategan also questioned the leniency shown to offenders.
“It seems that people who speed and cause accidents often get off with little more than a slap on the wrist. Why are these crimes, because that’s what they are, not taken seriously by our courts?”
Some residents took to social media to share their frustration.
One resident said: “Sea Point (and Cape Town) needs more raised intersections. Ambulance and fire trucks can still go over them, but all vehicles need to slow down to pass.”
Another resident said speeding cars are a recurring issue.
“This kind of activity happens every weekend from Bakoven to Hout Bay and back through Constantia. There is a circuit that doesn’t get policed.”
While another resident feels that more visible policing is needed.
“We need more ghost cars out there at night where criminals who cause havoc on our roads are locked up immediately at the scene.”
