THE owner of the kombi involved in the horrific crash which claimed the life of a young woman and left several St Michael’s High School learners critically injured has been arrested.
The arrest was confirmed by Deputy Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Assistant Superintendent Nosipho Mnguni yesterday.
Mnguni said the kombi owner was arrested for allegedly allowing an unroadworthy vehicle to operate on public roads.
Reliable sources claimed that the owner, whose identity is known to this publication but withheld for now, was arrested after permitting the vehicle to continue transporting passengers despite known concerns about its roadworthiness.
It is alleged that the kombi had previously been removed from service after being declared unroadworthy. However, the owner allegedly returned it to operation, a decision investigators believe may have contributed to the fatal accident. The allegations have not yet been tested in court.
The vehicle, a Toyota Quantum minibus, was said to have several defects, including a faulty emergency brake, a leak in the rear-left brake cylinder and defective service brakes.
The driver of the kombi, Sipho Dumsani Dlamini (49) of Logoba, was also arrested in connection with the incident.
Dlamini appeared before Principal Magistrate Florence Msibi at the Manzini Magistrate’s Court last week, where he was denied bail. He faces charges of culpable homicide and operating an unroadworthy vehicle.
The fatal crash occurred near the busy Mzimnene Bridge, sending shockwaves across the country and reigniting concerns over road safety and the condition of public transport vehicles.
According to eyewitnesses, the kombi operating on the Manzini–Fairview route was travelling from Grand Valley towards the Manzini Bus Rank when the driver allegedly experienced brake failure and lost control.
Witnesses said the driver attempted to avoid a more catastrophic collision by steering towards the bridge guardrail. However, the vehicle veered off course and ploughed into pedestrians walking along the pavement.
Among those struck were several Form I learners from St Michael’s High School. The force of the impact reportedly pinned some of the pupils against a nearby wall, leaving them with severe injuries.
