Case against woman accused of running over a group of teens in Joburg back in court

JOHANNESBURG - The case against a woman accused of ploughing into a group of teenage girls in the east of Johannesburg is back in the Germiston Magistrates Court on Friday morning.

Sixty-seven-year-old Martha van der Walt is facing a charge of culpable homicide for allegedly running over and killing 15-year-old Pretty Mahlangu during the incident.

The matter is back in court for further investigation after the state asked for more time to gather outstanding evidence during the last court proceedings in August.

The state had told the court that it is still gathering crucial evidence, including video footage, photographs of the scene, hospital records and a postmortem report.

However, the Mahlangu family expressed frustrations at the delays, claiming evidence was already handed over to authorities.

The family is demanding that the charge be upgraded to murder.

Van der Walt is accused of driving over and killing Mahlangu during a Zulu cultural coming-of-age ceremony in June.

The family said it is also seeking an apology from the accused.