Lutzville farmer due in court for bail bid after allegedly ramming car into a mom and her child

CAPE TOWN - A Lutzville man is expected to make a second appearance in the Vredendal Magistrates Court on Monday after allegedly ramming into a 6-year-old boy and his mother, in the West Coast town.

Khwezi Jantjies and his mother, Magdalene, were walking along Station Road at around noon on Friday, 20th September, when the driver of a vehicle, with a trailer attached, hit them and drove over the child.

He apparently accused little Khwezi, of stealing an orange.

The child suffered fractures to both his legs.

A bail application is expected to get underway when the 70-year-old man makes his second court appearance on Monday.

Magdalene Jantjies said that she and her son had walked past the accused's premises, a smallholding, while making their way to buy food in the town.

Khwezi then apparently stopped and picked up an orange that had fallen to the ground before attempting to reach through a fence to grab a second orange on the ground.

The emotional mother explained that moments later, she heard the accused scream before ramming into them, pinning them up against the fence.

"It happened extremely quickly. When I saw my child, it was like seeing death and I had to concentrate on saving my child. I saw the bakkie on my child and I screamed, 'Help me!.'"

Khwezi underwent a successful operation at Paarl Hospital last week and has since been transferred back to Vredendal, closer to his family home.

Magdalene said that they would now focus on Khwezi's recovery and make plans to get counselling to help them deal with the traumatic event.