The driver of the taxi that hit Du Plessis was suspected to have been driving under the influence of alcohol.
A taxi driver who drove over runner Dezireè Du Plessis during the Soweto Marathon faces a murder charge.
AfriForum’s Private Prosecutions Unit has revealed that a senior prosecutor informed the family of Du Plessis that the state was considering charging the taxi driver, who ran over the athlete during the Soweto Marathon in November last year, with murder.
Struck by taxi
The 45-year-old Du Plessis, a mother of two from Pretoria, was struck by a vehicle during the annual race on 29 November and underwent emergency surgery due to intracranial haemorrhage (bleeding on the brain).
Death
She was unable to recover and her sister, Marijke Miller, confirmed on Friday morning that she had succumbed to her injuries.
“Dezzi breathed her last breath this morning and completed her race. She fought to the end but went soft and peaceful,” Miller posted on Facebook.
AfriForum’s Private Prosecutions Unit said that while Du Plessis’ family is satisfied that the South African Police Service (Saps) and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) are handling the case properly. They “approached the unit out of concern that culpable homicide was not the appropriate charge that Thabang Ndlovu, the driver, should face”.
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Murder charge wanted
In a letter to the senior prosecutor at the Orlando Magistrates Court, the unit’s head, Advocate Gerrie Nel, made the case for charging Ndlovu with the more serious offence.
“According to media reports, the accused ignored verbal and even physical warnings from traffic control personnel not to enter the restricted area and instead proceeded. According to the information, several runners had to get out of the way of the accused’s vehicle before he eventually and predictably hit the deceased.
“An argument that the accused foresaw the possibility of him hitting a runner and reconciled himself with this possibility is not only a reasonable inference, but the inference that the accused acted deliberately is ineluctable,” said Nel.
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Police family
The unit’s spokesperson, Barry Bateman, said Du Plessis was born into a police family.
“Dezireè’s mother and father were both members of the Saps and dedicated their lives to serving society and ensuring justice prevails.
“It is our responsibility to ensure that the same holds true in this senseless death of a mother, sister, and daughter, and AfriForum’s Private Prosecution Unit extends its full support and cooperation to the police and NPA,” said Bateman.
Bateman said the case was postponed to 27 February 2026 for further investigation, “while the accused, despite being granted bail, remains in custody.”
Driver
The driver of the taxi that hit Du Plessis, who was suspected of having been driving under the influence of alcohol and ignored metro police officers who denied him access to the Soweto Marathon route, was arrested for reckless and negligent driving.
Nearly 13,000 runners entered the 30th edition of the Soweto Marathon, which included races over 42km, 21km, and 10km.
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