Accused truck driver pleads not guilty to murder charges
Truck driver accused of mass murder after 24 people died in an accident with train pleads not guilty.

NELSPRUIT – The truck driver, accused of mass murder after 24 occupants died in an accident near Hectorspruit last year, pleaded not guilty on all charges.
Mr George Manuel Mandlazi appeared in the Gauteng circuit of the High Court in Nelspruit on Wednesday.
The prosecutor, Ms Dora Ngobeni, read out all 48 counts to the accused which includes cases of attempted murder since some of the commuters survived the accident. Mandlazi repeatedly pleaded not guilty to each one.
Defence advocate, Ms Illana Erasmus, told the court the defence would give an explanation of the plea just before the trial was to begin. Ngobeni had no objection for the state.
Judge Nomsa Khumalo set the trial to start on November 11. The state is to call 31 witnesses to testify against Mandlazi.
Mandlazi's truck ploughed into a coal train on July 13, 2012. Mandlazi previously mentioned to the court that he could not recollect any of his actions that day.
He also told the court he had lost his uncle in the accident. He said his only intention was to drive the workers to work safely.
The truck was carrying 47 seasonal farm workers who engaged mainly in picking citrus crops in the region.
There were 24 fatalities among the truck's occupants, and several others were injured. Immediately after the collision, the truck was dragged by the train for about 200 metres. It was a horrific scene as the bodies of the victims were left scattered on the ground, some of them with missing limbs.
The minister for public enterprises,
Ms Malusi Gigaba, and Transnet officials had visited the collision scene. They confirmed to media that they were satisfied that all level-crossing safety measures were in place at the time of the accident.
According to one official, the train driver “even hooted to let the truck driver know he was approaching”.
Mandlazi is currently out on R3 000 bail.