The parents of Mitchells Plain sisters Nurah and Nishaat Thomas have been left frustrated by the latest postponement in their murder case.
The girls, aged six and two years old died, after unlicensed taxi driver Likhona Mgidi, 22, jumped a red robot and crashed his Toyota Quantum van into their dad’s Opel Corsa as they were driving home.
The fatal accident took place on 3 March 2023 on the corner of Merrydale and Westport Avenue, Portlands.
Nishaat died on impact, while little Nurah passed away in hospital two days later.
After a string of postponements due to outstanding documents, Mgidi appeared in Mitchells Plain Regional Court on Wednesday after the State rejected his plea in February.
Mgidi faces charges of culpable homicide and negligent driving as he was driving without a driver’s licence at the time of the crash.
The case was postponed to 26 April, for a Legal Aid lawyer to consult with Mgidi.
The postponement has left the parents of Nurah and Nishaat frustrated as they were expecting a trial date.
Mom Raihaana says: “This Mgidi is getting so many lifelines. He should be in jail and not having the freedom he is having now. I’m just tired emotionally.”
Mgidi was granted R3 000 bail in March 2023.
A heartbroken Raihaana told the Daily Voice that this is the second Ramadaan without her little girls.
She says: “It’s the second year with two empty seats and that’s a pain that no parent should ever go through.
“We made peace with God’s plans. We of course miss them unimaginably and it’s been a year of pain, sacrifices and challenges.”
byron.lukas@inl.co.za