Shock waves rippled through the courtroom on Thursday, day one of the trial which took almost two years to get to court.
Gill GiffordSilent protesters outside the Kempton Park magistrate's court were relieved when the taxi driver accused of killing cyclists Janine Hopkins and Frans Duys pleaded guilty to culpable homicide.When taxi driver Smangali Promise Msibi was called to the stand and told he faced culpable homicide charges for driving over and killing cyclists Janine Hopkins and Frans Duys, he immediately pleaded guilty.
“So many things could have gone wrong. The docket could have gone missing, the case could have been thrown out, you know. You just brace yourself because anything could have happened. You just don’t expect the guy to admit guilt,” said Dawn Burnett, Hopkins’s partner, who managed to get to the accident scene and be with her when she died.
They were riding in Sandton when they were hit by a taxi. Police and paramedics arrived at the scene — but taxi driver Msibi was not arrested, nor was his vehicle impounded. He was left to break out the shattered windscreen and drive away. He was only charged later.
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