'Blue light' shooter not guilty
2012-07-10 09:47
BLUE LIGHTS DECISION: The man who fired shots at another car from a 'blue lights' vehicle has been found not gulty of attempted murder.
Former kwaZulu-Natal social development MEC Meshack Radebe's then bodyguard has been found not guilty on six charges of attempted murder by the Pietermaritzburg Regional Court on Monday.
Hlanganani Nxumalo was, however, found guilty of illegally discharging his firearm and could face civil litigation. His colleague Caiphus Ndlela has been charged with negligent driving. His case was postponed to July 26 2012 when the defence intends to call more witnesses.
The charges are related to an accident in which six people were injured on the N3 near Durban in November 2008.
During his trial Nxumalo claimed he fired warning shots in the air because the driver in front of him had applied his brakes but the prosecution disagreed, claiming Nxumalo's decision to fire caused Anuvasen Moodley, the driver of the other vehicle, to lose control and veer across the highway into oncoming traffic, resulting in a collision with a bakkie.
CALL FOR BAN
Nxumalo and his co-accused insisted the accident was caused by Moodley's refusal to give way to their vehicle. The pair were on their way to pick up Radebe from Hillcrest when the shooting occurred.
The case attracted a great amount of public attention at the time and saw opposition parties, especially the Democratic Alliance, calling for a ban on the use of blue lights.
In April this year the SA Human Rights Commission called for a review of the guidelines on the use of blue lights.
