South African nabbed drunk on umcombotsi

A South African man who had been enjoying umcombotsi for the first time during a funeral in the country was nabbed for drink-driving.
 Elias Ntuli appeared for two counts of over speeding and drink-driving, to which he pleaded guilty when asked by the prosecutor. He was nabbed along Nkoyoyo around midnight.



When the court asked him how many litres of the traditional brew he had drank, he stated that he did not know as he did not take note.
He told Magistrate Siphosini Dlamini that he had been drinking the night before and did not get enough sleep as he slept only two hours, which was why the alcohol was found in his system.
“I had come here to support my friend who had lost his live-in lover and we were in the country for the first time. He did not have money and I had to give him some for the burial because when we took the deceased to her homestead they said they did not want to bury her and other arrangements had to be made,” Ntuli stated.
Pleaded
He also pleaded for lenience, stating that he had a wife and three children he had left at home who depended on him as his partner was unemployed and he had been trying to help out a person he works with.
The court found him guilty and he was sentenced to 15 months in prison or a fine of E1 500 for the drink driving charge as well as three months in prison or a fine of E300 for over speeding.
‘I drove drunk so as not to disappoint dad’

A Swazi studying at Tshwane University in South Africa appeared for drink-driving charges after being nabbed next to TEBA offices.
Mthokozisi Zwane (25) told the court that he had been sent by his father to pick up his sister from town and he had not wanted to disappoint his parents by telling them that he was drunk.
Magistrate Siphosini Dlamini then asked the student if he would have rather faced the police like he did than told the truth.
He was facing charges of drink- driving and reckless driving, where he made a U-turn on a white solid line.
“I am supposed to be at school today, but had to come to court as I had only paid bail and the officers told me to be in court today,” he stated.
Unemployed
He then told the court that his father was unemployed and even though his mother worked, they struggled to send them to school.
“I will try and get a temporary job when I return from school to pay the outstanding fine as I do not want to bother my parents for my sins,” Zwane stated.
He then told the court that he had a child and was planning to marry the mother of his child when he completes his studies.
“You should know that lots of lives have been lost on the roads and I want your sentencing to be a lesson to potential offenders,” Dlamini stated.
Both his parents and sister were not present to give him moral support, which he communicated to the court.
He was found guilty and sentenced to 15 months in prison with a fine option of E1 500 for the drink driving charge and for reckless driving, he was sentenced to five months in prison or E500 fine. Zwane produced a receipt of E1 000 for bail, meaning he only had E1 000 outstanding to pay.
Cops ordered to return suspect’s car
THE court has ordered the police to return a vehicle belonging to a drink-driving suspect whose accomplice ran away when they were nabbed.
The accused, who pleaded not guilty to the charges of drink-driving, told the court that he had not been driving on the day, but his friend was and he ran away when they were stopped by the police.
Appeared
Xolani Nkosi, who was represented by a lawyer, appeared before Magistrate Siphosini Dlamini facing three counts. He was one of four people who appeared at the court on charges of drink-driving in Mbabane and Lobamba.
“Even though it is my vehicle, Your Worship the police say they will not release it until my friend hands himself over to them,” Nkosi stated, to which the magistrate asked why he did not simply surrender the required person to the police for release of his vehicle.
On count one, Nkosi was charged with drink-driving, where he was nabbed at Queensgate and on count two he was charged with driving without a licence. The last count was failing to comply with a police officer’s instruction when told to stop.
The matter was stood down by the court for a few minutes as the crown consulted with the traffic police about the vehicle. When the matter resumed, the magistrate told the traffic officer present in court to return the vehicle to Nkosi.
The matter returns to court on January 24, pending setting of his hearing.
Juvenile ‘thieves’ point fingers at each other
THE two juveniles who stole clothes from a swimmer at Cuddle Puddle are now contradicting themselves, both pleading not guilty and accusing the other of the offence.
One of them, a 12-year-old, told the court that the other accused stole the clothes and he only saw them when they were walking home as he was taking out clothes from the bag he was carrying and throwing away the old clothes.
“If we were to go to that road we were using you would find some of the clothes he threw away,” he said, adding that he ended up with the stolen shoes as he had borrowed them not knowing that they were stolen.
Magistrate Siphosini Dlamini was angered by the boys’ behaviour and told the parents that he was thinking of sending them to Mdutjane Correctional Facility. “You have failed as parents to raise your children and now this is becoming the nation’s problem so I think they should be taken from you and kept where they will get a beating and education at the same time,” he said.
The 12-year-old told the court that he had been allowed by his mother to go to the warm baths and she even gave him E20 to spend. The second accused told the court that he had over E40 of his own to spend and he also got permission from his aunt.
“He is a thief as there is another pair of trousers he told me he stole from another person,” the 12-year-old stated. The younger accused also stated that when they were in prison, the older one was trying to tell him what to say when the police questioned them.
The magistrate then asked if he had thought stealing was a good thing and if that was why he had joined him on this job. Dlamini also asked the parents if they thought their children were still young people, who would be able to attend school and listen.
The two stole property worth E1 120 and they are to return to court tomorrow for a trial hearing where they would be bringing their own witnesses and the crown would do the same.