Pinetown horror crash truck driver had fake papers, claims owner

The owner of the truck involved in the horror Pinetown crash has broken his silence as the driver’s lawyer withdraws from the case.

Sanele Goodness May
Facebook: Sanele Goodness May Support Group

The owner of the truck involved in the horror Pinetown crash has broken his silence by saying he feels “betrayed and taken advantage of” in a press conference.

As Gregory Govender claims he is receiving death threats, the spokesperson for his company Sagekal Logistics read out his statement on Monday.

Govender alleges that on Friday 13 September, eight days after the accident, “It was established that Sanele’s South African traffic register is fraudulent,” and belongs to an asylum seeker from Swaziland, where May is from.

“It was further established that Sanele’s public driving permit is also fraudulent,” he added.

He admitted that the truck had no licence as it had expired on 31 August. However, he claims that truck licences are always renewed within the 21 day grace-period in his company.

Brake Failure 

He claimed that allegations regarding brake failure were baseless as the truck had been serviced with new brake linings. He also argued that effective braking involves both brakes and gears.

Govender said, “Sanele has unfortunately given inconsistent accounts of when the brakes are alleged to have failed. This has not helped ours’ or the state’s investigative process.

“It must be noted that Fields Hill has a mandatory stop for truck drivers, positioned at the top of the hill after a steep ascent, where a driver would already be at a reduced speed.

“Nowhere in any of the reported accounts by May is it claimed that he engaged a low gear while descending the M13. It is accepted in the industry that all truck drivers must engage in a low gear on Fields Hill, as the brakes alone cannot bring the vehicle to a complete stop if this is not done,” he said.

No Experience

According to Govender, Sanele did not disclose that he had no experience of driving a horse and trailer or travelling long distances.

He said that May was employed on 2 September 2013 after successfully completing a driving test.

Many have taken to Facebook and Twitter to express their anger at Govender’s statement.

Hester Pescivolo, from Johannesburg, wrote on Faceboo,: “Amazing how quick they can check his credentials after the fact. Should have checked this before giving him the job.”

Jaimie Ola Jamos Corker also said on the social network, “Please explain to me why the documentation was not verified prior to him being employed, but was verified really quickly after the accident? Methinks Govender has decided to play the blame game.”

Lawyer change

The statement came as May’s lawyer Theasen Pillay announced he would withdraw from representing Sanele, citing allegations that the necessary truck documentation was not in order, ENCA reported.

Pillay was initially employed by truck owner Govender to represent both himself and May.

According to media reports, three attorneys turned up at court to defend May as Pillay withdrew from the case, with lawyer Professor Lindokuhle Mdletshe taking the helm.

The case has been postponed until 8 October as new evidence needs to be examined by police, Mdletshe told the court. It is unknown what this evidence is.

Earlier this year Mdletshe helped release a father who had been falsely imprisoned for 10 years for raping his daughter. His daughter later confessed that her mother had forced her to make the false allegations of rape, News24 reported.

Read Govender’s full statement here