The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) has said that, if given time to investigate and further analyse the evidence, it will be able to corroborate the circumstances surrounding the two N1 incidents near Bela-Bela in Limpopo that claimed the lives of two parents and a one-year-old child on May 9.

One incident involved the Minister of Health, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, as he reportedly travelled from Limpopo to Pretoria, reports Polokwane Review.

IPID has taken over the investigation because it involves two police officers.

What happened first

Undocumented foreign nationals, the late Paul Masunda and his teenage son, were returning home after accompanying the late Beauty Shoperai (37) and the couple’s one-year-old child to a bus bound for Zimbabwe, which was parked on the side of the highway.

While crossing the highway, Masunda was allegedly struck by a vehicle driven by an off-duty police officer.

What happened next

After being called to the scene while carrying the one-year-old on her back, Shoperai was struck and killed, along with the child, by a VIP Protection Unit vehicle in which Motsoaledi was travelling.

The teenager was unharmed.

IPID investigation

IPID spokesperson Lizzy Suping said the directorate received the docket from police on Wednesday.

“However, we still need to compare the information in the docket with witness statements, technical reports such as post-mortems, and warning statements from the two suspects, who are police officers.

“Only then can we refer an outcome report and the docket to the Director of Public Prosecutions, who will decide whether to prosecute,” she explained.

The two officers face charges of culpable homicide.

Timeline questions

Concern has also grown over the silence from officials between the incident on Saturday and the official confirmation by police on Tuesday, after the matter was first reported in the media.

It was also not immediately stated by Limpopo police or national SAPS, when the newspaper enquired, what the timeframe was between the two incidents.

However, the Limpopo Department of Transport and Community Safety released a statement warning road users about the partial closure of the road between 21:50 and 23:30, due to accidents, stating only that neither driver had been injured.

Before it emerged that the first vehicle was allegedly driven by an off-duty police officer, the incident had initially been reported as a hit-and-run.

Motsoaledi visited the deceased family’s home in Bela-Bela yesterday (May 15), where repatriation matters were discussed.

“Allow us to do our part; we will inform the public of the outcome and even the prosecutor’s decision,” Suping concluded.