The culpable homicide case against Johan Louwrens may be concluded in June, nearly six years after Letisia Niemann (38) was killed in a hit-and-run accident. Niemann was a local businesswoman.

She died in Kiaat Private Hospital within two hours after being knocked over by a bakkie that failed to stop after the incident.

Louwrens appeared in the Nelspruit Regional Court on Friday, April 11, taking the witness stand to explain his side of the story.

During his testimony, Louwrens denied having knocked Niemann over outside Mustangs just before midnight on September 28, 2019.

He admitted having come to Mbombela from Steelpoort, Limpopo, around the same time as the incident.

Louwrens said he was in Mbombela to visit relatives at an old age home.

He told the court that his siblings, who were aware of his visit, invited him to join them to get food at a restaurant, but that they left without him when he was in the bathroom.

“When I came out, there was nobody at the table. I went out to look for them without success,” said Louwrens.

He claimed that while looking for his siblings, he drove into a storm water drain that damaged a tyre and part of the vehicle’s body.

After receiving assistance from a relative who called to find out where he was, he said he returned to Steelpoort.

While in Steelpoort, he received a call from a relative who told him that the police in Mbombela were looking for him because he had knocked over a woman.

“I drove to Mbombela and handed myself over to the police and was locked up,” said Louwrens.

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He was charged with culpable homicide and granted R1 500 bail, only for the case to be provisionally withdrawn following alleged police bungling.

When the case was later reinstated, he was released on warning after having been subpoenaed to the court.

Before Louwrens’ testimony, the State presented two witnesses, a car tracking expert, Carel Rothman, and a policeman, Sergeant Pollard John Ngxam.

Ngxam was excused after the defence lawyer stated that he needed time to revisit previous evidence before cross-examination.

Louwrens’ lawyer, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, put it to Rothman that he [Rothman] was not a GPS expert and, therefore, his report was irrelevant.

“You did not design the tracking unit, therefore, you can’t tell if this report is faulty or not. You yourself were not trained in GPS,” the lawyer told Rothman.

The matter was postponed to June 5 so that the State could cross examine Louwrens.

Heads of arguments are expected to be presented on June 19.

Meanwhile, Niemann’s brother-in-law, Gerald Boshoff, said he did not understand why the case was taking so long. “We are heading to six years now. At least it is now clear that the matter will finally come to an end.

We want closure. My wife and I have already spent over R300 000 on travel expenses, hotels and food,” said Boshoff.