The unlicensed taxi driver who was behind the wheel the day little Nurah and her sister Nishaat Thomas was killed in a car crash on Monday heard that the court would not be accepting his plea agreement.
Likhona Mgidi faces charges of culpable homicide and negligent driving after he allegedly sped and jumped a red robot on the corner of Merrydale and Westport Avenue, Portlands in March 2023.
Mgidi crashed his Toyota Quantum taxi into dad Abduragmaan’s Opel Corsa as they were driving home.
Nishaat, 6, died on impact, while 2-year-old Nurah passed away in hospital two days later.
Yesterday a confident looking Mgidi took to the stand where his plea agreement was read into record in Mitchells Plain Regional Court A by his attorney.
The court heard that Mgidi pleaded guilty to the two counts of culpable homicide, and admitted that he drove fast on the day of the accident and that he drove without a licence .
However Mgidi’s confidence quickly turned into tears when Magistrate Mary Jwacu rejected the plea.
Jwacu wanted to know who wrote the statement, as it contained many legal terms, something Mgidi would not have knowledge of.
She ordered that the case be moved to Regional Court B for trial.
At Regional Court B, the maximum sentence of life can be imposed.
The children’s mom Raihaana said Jwacu’s ruling came as a shock to them too.
“To be honest we were ready to close the case today, we were ready to listen to his version of what happened, but then he pulled this stunt.
“I didn't even understand half of his agreement, even the magistrate said there was no mention of the Opel, he just spoke about the Quantum, so that makes us want a better understanding.”
Mgidi is currently out on R3000 bail.
He will return to Mitchells Plain Regional Court B for plea on 27 September 2024.