Councillor’s car injures seven
Eye witnesses say there were bottles of alcohol in the car.
THE parents of the seven teenagers who were knocked over by Hibiscus Coast Municipality councillor, Portia Luthuli’s car have opened a criminal case against the driver of the vehicle.
Witnesses who were on the scene claim that the councillor was the one who was driving the car when the accident happened on February 8. It is believed that the councillor and some other National Freedom Party members were on their way to KwaMgayi (near Umzinto) for an NFP rally.
“She lost control of the car and it went onto the pavement,” said a witness. She claimed that once the car stopped, the councillor and another occupant were seen moving bottles of alcohol from the car to another car.
The teenagers sustained serious injuries and were admitted to GJ Crookes Hospital. A case was opened at Sawoti police station.
NFP spokesman Cllr Ziphathele Mhlongo has refuted allegations that the councillor was the one driving the car on that day.
He has, however, admitted that the councillor’s car was involved in the accident but said she was not the one driving.
When asked about the alcohol, he said there was no alcohol in the car but water. “We would never carry alcohol to a political rally,” he said.
Another source has informed the newspaper that even though the councillor has a car she doesn’t have a driver’s licence.
When contacted, Cllr Luthuli said she was not driving the car on the day of the accident. “Because I do not have a licence I asked someone else to drive for me, she is the one who lost control of the car,” said Cllr Luthuli.
Angry parents say they were very disappointed with the way the matter was handled. “The person who ran over my 14-year-old daughter did not even come to apologise,” said angry Khehla Mnyandu.
“The least they could’ve done was to check on how the children are doing,” he said.
