Three weeks ago, Thando Mahlangu, 13, died in hospital after she was knocked over by a car in Dinwiddie, Germiston, during a coming-of-age ceremony.
Thando was among a group of girls who were singing and dancing in the street when a vehicle driven by a 68-year-old woman drove into them, killing her and injuring another.
A video footage of the incident obtained by this newspaper showed how the driver ignored attempts by some at the ceremony to stop her from driving past the girls, but instead she rammed into a marshal before accelerating to hit the girls.
Eyewitnesses told Sowetan that the driver had earlier confronted the girls about why they were topless and blocking the street. After she drove over Thando, the driver allegedly went to the Germiston police station, saying she was being attacked. According to the community, the driver said that she hit Thando while getting away from her alleged attackers.
The video footage, however, shows a different version.
The incident, understandably, sparked outrage in the community, which was further enraged by the police’s decision to release the driver on bail before she had even appeared in court.
As we report today, the driver of the car that killed young Thando on that fateful day has, according to police, had charges against her provisionally withdrawn. What further adds insult to injury in what appears to be a case of an injustice visited upon the family of the young girl is the denial by the National Prosecuting Authority of the matter ever being enrolled in court.
It's now a mystery as to who withdrew the charges and on what basis.
It means a person responsible for the callous act of driving over a 13-year-old and cutting her life short has been set free to continue with her life while the girl’s family is in mourning and seeking justice. It is yet another case of the state failing victims of crime.
There are no words to describe how callous an adult must be to drive a vehicle into a group of young girls after ignoring attempts to redirect her. It is a crime of brutal proportions. That the case of culpable homicide against the driver appears to be going nowhere slowly in the hands of the police adds to the community’s and our disgust.
The criminal justice system must do better by arresting the driver and charging her for this heinous crime. If it means the case must be transferred to the province from the police station, where there is evident lethargy in pursuing justice, so be it. The driver responsible for Mahlangu’s death must be brought to justice.
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