The State has completed its cross-examination of Johan Louwrens, who stands accused of culpable homicide following the 2019 hit-and-run death of Letisia Niemann.

Louwrens appeared in the Nelspruit Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, June 5. The matter was postponed to Thursday, June 19, for heads of argument.

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

The State attempted to link Louwrens to a confession he allegedly made to a relative shortly before his arrest. However, his Legal Aid lawyer objected. “That cannot be accepted as evidence before court,” said the lawyer, who cannot be named for legal reasons.

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Niemann (38), a local businesswoman, died in Kiaat Private Hospital within two hours of being struck by a bakkie that failed to stop at the scene.

Louwrens admitted he had been in Mbombela around the time of the incident, having travelled from Steelpoort, Limpopo, to visit relatives at an old age home.

He testified that he was invited to dinner by siblings but was left behind when he went to the bathroom. “When I came out of the bathroom, there was nobody at the table. I went out to look for them without success,” said Louwrens.

While searching for them, he claimed, he accidentally drove into a stormwater drain, damaging a tyre and part of the vehicle’s bodywork. A relative later assisted him, and he returned to Steelpoort.

Louwrens said a relative contacted him days later to inform him the Mbombela police were looking for him in connection with the hit-and-run. “I drove to Mbombela, handed myself over to the police and was locked up,” he told the court.

He was initially charged with culpable homicide and granted bail of R1 500. The case was provisionally withdrawn due to alleged police mishandling, but was later reinstated. He was then subpoenaed and released on warning.

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

Louwrens’ lawyer questioned Rothman’s credibility, stating he was not a GPS expert and, therefore, his report was unreliable. “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 said.

Previously, Niemann’s brother-in-law, Gerald Boshoff, told Lowvelder he could not understand why the case had dragged on for so long.

“We are heading to six years now. At least it is now clear 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.