News / Local
Phathisa Nyathi up for homicide
03 Sep 2015 at 06:31hrs | Views
PROMINENT historian Pathisa Nyathi appeared in court yesterday facing culpable homicide charges for allegedly causing the death of a passenger after his car rammed into a tree in December last year.
Nyathi, who is the director of Amagugu International Cultural Centre in Matobo District, was travelling with one of his employees, Tha Lunga along the Bulawayo-Kezi Road when the accident occurred on a rainy day.
The 68-year-old historian and writer allegedly lost control of his vehicle and it rammed into a tree. Lunga was seriously injured and died a few hours later at Natisa clinic.
The historian was allegedly speeding on a slippery road.
He pleaded not guilty to culpable homicide when he appeared before Plumtree magistrate, Livard Philemon and was remanded out of custody to September 16 for continuation of trial.
Through his lawyer Lison Ncube of James Moyo- Majwabu & Nyoni Legal Practitioners, Nyathi alleged that a vehicle encroached onto his lane and he veered off the road in a bid to avoid a head on collision, resulting in the incident.
"My client pleads not guilty Your Worship. On December 11, he was travelling along Bulawayo-Kezi Road around midday, it was raining and the road was slippery. A vehicle blocked his path and he veered off the road to avoid a collision," said the lawyer.
"Unfortunately he failed to control the vehicle because the road was slippery. He did all a reasonable person could do to control a vehicle under such circumstances but the road was slippery."
Ncube said Nyathi was travelling on a strip road and the actions of the other driver made it impossible for him to control his vehicle.
Prosecuting, Stanley Chinyanganya said the prominent writer, who is a holder of a class four driver's licence, committed the offence on December 11 last year.
Nyathi, who is the director of Amagugu International Cultural Centre in Matobo District, was travelling with one of his employees, Tha Lunga along the Bulawayo-Kezi Road when the accident occurred on a rainy day.
The 68-year-old historian and writer allegedly lost control of his vehicle and it rammed into a tree. Lunga was seriously injured and died a few hours later at Natisa clinic.
The historian was allegedly speeding on a slippery road.
He pleaded not guilty to culpable homicide when he appeared before Plumtree magistrate, Livard Philemon and was remanded out of custody to September 16 for continuation of trial.
"My client pleads not guilty Your Worship. On December 11, he was travelling along Bulawayo-Kezi Road around midday, it was raining and the road was slippery. A vehicle blocked his path and he veered off the road to avoid a collision," said the lawyer.
"Unfortunately he failed to control the vehicle because the road was slippery. He did all a reasonable person could do to control a vehicle under such circumstances but the road was slippery."
Ncube said Nyathi was travelling on a strip road and the actions of the other driver made it impossible for him to control his vehicle.
Prosecuting, Stanley Chinyanganya said the prominent writer, who is a holder of a class four driver's licence, committed the offence on December 11 last year.
Source - chronicle
