Drunk Driving BDP Cllr To Be Sentenced Today

By Isaiah Morewagae
Staff Writer | Monday February 8, 2010 00:00

Magistrate Dumisane Basupi convicted the 27-year-old councillor on a single count of driving a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol. Keakile pleaded guilty to the charge. After going through a test, the alcohol content in his blood was found to be double what is accepted by the law.

The alcohol content was found to be 0.70mg per 1000ml thus exceeding the permissible limit of 0.35mg per 1000ml. Keakile allegedly knocked down a pedestrian who was trying to cross the road last December near Metsimotlhabe River bridge in Thamaga. The pedestrian was confirmed dead at Thamaga Primary Hospital after he was taken from the scene of the accident.

The police have stated that when they arrived at the scene, there was a strong smell of alcohol, which led to Keakile being taken away for a breathalyser test at Thamaga police station.

Keakile was travelling from Thamaga to Ramotswa at around 7.45pm when the accident occurred.

In mitigation, the youthful councillor pleaded with the court not to be too harsh on him as he regrets what happened. He said he had been helping the family of the deceased and this shows that he regretted what happened. Keakile told the court that he has joined the anti-alcohol campaign to sensitise the public about the dangers of drunken driving.

'Since the night of the accident, I have been having nightmares and the accident is haunting me,' Keakile said.He faces a fine of P5,000 and a ban from driving for two years or an imprisonment term of five years if he fails to pay within 30 days.