Ruvan Olivier, the accused in the death of the cyclist Nino Oppel, on 13 April 2022, appeared in the Krugersdorp Regional Court on charges of culpable homicide, attempting to defeat the ends of justice, and many violations of the Road Traffic Act.
Magistrate Keith Page postponed the case until 3 June 2022 for finalisation of the outstanding investigation. This follows after AfriForum’s Private Prosecution Unit, who are currently assisting the Oppel family, made comprehensive representations to the Director of Public Prosecutions in Gauteng (DPP) after the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) initially indicated that they would not prosecute due to lack of a proper investigation.
Oppel was participating in the popular Berge en Dale cycling race in Muldersdrift, Gauteng, when the accused allegedly hit him with his vehicle and sped away.
Micky Thesner, the prosecutor in the case, in court said that she had had a meeting with the investigating team at AfriForum’s Private Prosecution Unit yesterday and that the unit is currently assisting her with the investigation because the SAPS is failing to allocate a detective to properly investigate the matter.
“We welcome the fact that the accused finally had to appear in court and we will continue to assist the NPA to ensure that justice is done. The Oppel family deserve justice for Nino’s death and we will, in terms of our watching brief from the family, ensure that this case receives the necessary attention,” says Andrew Leaks, Chief Investigator at AfriForum’s Private Prosecution Unit.
Read the original article in Afrikaans on AfriForum
