Martha van der Walt's lawyer claims that her driving into a crowd of girls was not racial or cultural discrimination
Sixty-eight-year-old Martha van der Walt is facing charges of culpable homicide after driving through a group of girls who were celebrating what is known as umhloyane, a traditional ceremony.
The woman (left) accused of driving through a crowd, during a coming-of-age ceremony in Germiston, killing Pretty Mahlangu, has been granted R5000 bail. Picture: Jabulile Mbatha /EWN.
JOHANNESBURG - The woman accused of driving into a crowd of girls during a coming-of-age ceremony, killing one of them, claimed the act was not racial or cultural discrimination.
Speaking through her attorney, Keneil Muthray, said the narrative had been distorted.
Sixty-eight-year-old Martha van der Walt is facing charges of culpable homicide after driving through a group of girls who were celebrating what is known as umhloyane, a traditional ceremony.
The family of 13-year-old Pretty Mahlangu, who died after being knocked over by Van der Walt, said she questioned why the girls were walking the streets topless.
The girls were doing a walkabout singing traditional songs when she drove through them, as can be seen on CCTV footage.
The family said it had informed its neighbours of the ceremony and had blocked the roads where she insisted on driving through.
Attorney Kineil Muthray said his client denied the version of events.
"My instruction is that there is nothing remotely close to that, she never confronted anybody, she never asked them if we are in South Africa, it's a very diverse cultural society. Obviously, there is an appreciation of culture despite a misunderstanding of it or the other. She was never confronted with what is alleged on social media."
He insists that she never expressed a misunderstanding of their culture.