Cops probe reckless driving

Police have opened a reckless and negligent driving case against the driver who caused the accident in which kwaito star Mandoza was injured, a spokeswoman said on Tuesday.

Captain Lydia Mtila-Dikolomela said the case was opened on Monday, after the accident in Weltevreden Park over the weekend.

"Let me make it clear. By saying we opened a case of reckless and negligent driving against the driver, I am not necessarily referring to Mandoza," she said.

Dikolomela said no one had been arrested and police had no other suspects.

"The docket will go to court and the police will do an investigation and charge whoever was driving."

Mandoza, whose real name is Mduduzi Tshabalala, was apparently sitting in the back seat of the Mini Cooper, after it crashed into a palm tree in the West Rand suburb. There was no other person in sight when metro police arrived on the scene.

Johannesburg Metro police spokeswoman Inspector Edna Mamonyane said on Monday Mandoza was very confused when officers spoke to him, but he did not smell of alcohol.

He had a cut on his forehead and was taken to the Helen Joseph hospital. His blood was not tested for alcohol or drugs as it was apparently too late after the accident to do this.

Mamonyane said the owner of the car was called to the accident scene and arrived 45 minutes after the call, smelling heavily of alcohol.

"He stank like the brewery tank," said Mamonyane, adding that he did not appear shocked to hear of the accident.

It was earlier reported that Mandoza, who was found of guilty of culpable homicide after a crash in March 2008 on the N1 North highway in which two people were killed, took his friend's car without permission after a fight with his wife.

Sapa