What began as a missing person search for a young Athlone man has now evolved into one of Cape Town’s most troubling police-related criminal cases this week. A twenty-one-year-old’s final journey home ended in tragedy, and now an off-duty Metro Police officer stands accused of allegedly driving away from the scene without stopping to help.
A Cape Town Metro Police officer is facing multiple criminal charges after allegedly fleeing the scene of a fatal hit-and-run that claimed the life of twenty-one-year-old Imtiyaaz Firfirey in Athlone.
Naeema Daniels, twenty-five, appeared before the Athlone Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday alongside her mother, Nadia Daniels, fifty-four, in connection with the incident that allegedly unfolded on Jan Smuts Drive on the evening of 18 April.
Daniels now faces multiple charges, including failure to stop after an accident, failure to report the incident, failure to determine injuries and damages, and failure to render assistance to a person injured in a collision.
Her mother, who was allegedly travelling as a passenger in the vehicle at the time, faces a charge of defeating or obstructing the administration of justice.
The court granted Daniels bail of four thousand rand, while her mother was released on warning. The matter has since been postponed until 24 July as investigators continue to build the case.
The incident has deeply affected the Athlone community.
Family members say Firfirey left his home on the evening of 18 April to visit a friend before heading to a local mosque, but he never arrived.
Concern quickly turned into panic after repeated calls went unanswered.
A family friend later told local media that relatives only discovered what had happened after learning of a fatal accident along Jan Smuts Drive. The family was later contacted and asked to identify Firfirey’s body at a mortuary.
Friends and relatives have described the young man as positive, respectful, and full of potential, adding that he had been studying physical science while helping with family businesses as he considered his future career path.
South African Police Service spokesperson Captain FC van Wyk confirmed that a culpable homicide case has been opened at Athlone police station and that the vehicle believed to have been involved in the collision has since been recovered for forensic examination.
Metro Police spokesperson Ruth Solomons confirmed the City is cooperating fully with investigators and that the officer will be served with a suspension notice, adding that Cape Town maintains zero tolerance for any form of misconduct within its law enforcement ranks.
Source: Independent Online – Kim Swartz.
