Minister of Transport, S’bu Ndebele, watched his 24-year-old son tragically slip from a coma into death following a road accident during the treacherous Easter driving period. That was 18 years ago, but Ndebele still feels the pain of losing his son, Nhlakanipho. He is now calling for those who cause death on the roads to face murder charges.

Speaking yesterday at the launch of the 2012 Easter Arrive Alive campaign, Ndebele explained how his ministry is now working with the Department of Justice to change the law. He wants anyone who causes death through their driving to be charged with murder, rather than the lesser charge of culpable homicide. Hectic.

S’bu said this during his address:

“If you jump the robot or overtake others (and your actions result in people dying), and you thought about what you are doing, you have to be charged with murder, and that is what we are going to be pushing for […] Gone are the days when people used to escape the consequences of their irresponsible actions. There is a need for all of us to draw a clear distinct line between culpable homicide and murder.”

And, on the topic of his son’s death, he added:

“Each time Easter comes I think: ‘Oh my God, he would have been here’. He was 24 years old, the age when he stops being a son but becomes a friend. That pain never goes away. Millions go through this experience every year, and that is why we want to deal with this (road accidents).”

Western Cape taxi driver Jacob Humphreys has recently faced murder charges for causing the deaths of 10 children after jumping a queue of cars at a level crossing in Blackheath, which caused a train to collide with his taxi. He’s been sentenced to 20 years for murder.

[Source: The Star]