Mayor of Nelson Mandela Bay in Gqeberha, EC, Nqaba Bhanga could be hit with culpable homicide charges for his involvement in this past weekend’s car accident.
According to reports, the 44-year-old was celebrating his birthday on Saturday when at approximately 23:30, he got into a head-on collision with another passenger vehicle at the intersection of St Leonards Drive and Uitenhage Road.
Bhanga suffered severe injuries and was forced to undergo a life-saving surgical procedure. On the other hand, two passengers in the second vehicle were killed instantly.
The latest update coming from the Nelson Mandela Bay hospital housing the mayor is that the surgery was successful and he’s since been recovering under observation.
Nqaba Bhanga could face culpable homicide charges
At this time, as it is standard procedure, police are investigating the circumstances of the fatal car crash. Spokesperson Captain Sandra Janse van Rensburg revealed in a statement that a double culpable homicide is being considered in the inquest.
At the crux of the investigation is determining which vehicle caused the fatal crash. It is understood that at the time of the accident, Bhanga had left a social event where he was celebrating his 44th birthday.
Was the mayor driving under the influence? This, the police will determine when test results from his blood sample are obtained by authorities.
Confirmed: Mayor had tender files in his car
Another subject of contention concerning Bhanga’s crash is the discovery of tender documents that were in his personal vehicle at the time of the accident.
GOOD Party’s Lawrence Troon noted in a statement that “it would be unlawful for the mayor to possess procurement documents.”
“The Mayor and DA must explain why the Mayor had “requests for quotation” for printing services documents in his possession. Mayors are not supposed to be involved in procurement,” Troon wrote.
At this time, neither the DA nor Bhanga’s handlers have released an official statement clarifying the presence of these unknown tender files in the mayor’s possession.
This is a developing story.