Motata drunk-driving witness wants anonymity

A witness in the drunk-driving trial of Pretoria High Court Judge Nkola Motata asked not be named or photographed before giving testimony in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.

He said this might jeopardise his business interests and requested that his name be withheld.

Earlier, Motata pleaded not guilty to driving under the influence of liquor or drugs and, alternatively, reckless and negligent driving. He also pleaded not guilty to a charge of defeating the ends of justice, with an alternative charge of resisting arrest.

After hearing arguments from the state and Motata’s attorney, magistrate Desmond Nair adjourned court proceedings for an hour for lunch, and to consider the witness’ request.

Motata, who was arrested on January 5 after crashing his car into a wall in Hurlingham, Johannesburg, sat scribbling notes in a lever-arch file while in the dock.

At the beginning of September, the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court heard that Motata was over the legal alcohol limit and abusive to police officers when he was arrested for drunk driving.

The state alleged Motata was “at least” four times over the legal alcohol limit when arrested. He also allegedly misspelled the name of his legal division as “Transval Provinicial Divisionn” and struggled to write down his phone number.

The state also claimed the judge told the female police officers who tried to arrest him: “Fuck you, stupid female officers, you can’t arrest me”, “females can’t arrest me”, “you stupid ladies can’t arrest me” and “a female can’t arrest, it must be a male”, media reports said.

The trial continues.—Sapa