Cyclists killed on SA roads face long wait for justice

When a cyclist is killed on a South African road, the loss lands first on a family. What follows, all too often, is a wait for justice measured in months and years, shaped by court postponements, missing documents and stretched public resources. That is the picture emerging from the Pedal Power Association, which says the criminal justice system is struggling to give these cases the attention they deserve, even as some police officers, prosecutors and members of the public work hard to secure accountability.

For ordinary road users, that struggle matters beyond any single case. Every person who cycles, walks or drives has a stake in a system that treats fatal collisions as matters demanding timely attention.

Neil Robinson, chief executive of the association, spoke after a memorial ride for 16-year-old Lilitha Lombo, who was killed in a hit-and-run while training with the Khayelitsha Cycling Academy. For the families left behind, he said, the delays are deeply frustrating.

“We talk about these cases often as statistics, and yet they’re human beings. They have families. They have loved ones,” he said.

The association is monitoring several cases involving cyclists killed in collisions. Among them are the deaths of Idries Sheriff in Camps Bay in 2025 and Francois Esterhuizen in Worcester in December 2025. The cases of cyclists killed on the R102 in September, including Landon La Grange, have also drawn the association’s attention.

In Sheriff’s case, Robinson said, progress has been slowed by multiple court appearances. The next appearance is scheduled for 10 November, when a plea is expected. The association has also been working with the National Prosecuting Authority on statements relating to aggravating and mitigating circumstances in the matter.

How any individual case moves, Robinson explained, often depends on the police station involved and the investigating officer assigned to it. “Some of them are very good, and we work very well with them. Some of them are not quite up to scratch, and that’s frustrating for us,” he said. The association continues to work with investigators and prosecutors in an effort to secure justice for the families.

The delays, he cautioned, cannot be pinned on a single cause. They stem from a combination of resource constraints, investigative shortcomings and an overwhelmed court system. He warned against generalising about the police or prosecutors, noting that the association has worked with dedicated and capable officials across the country. Even so, missing dockets and other administrative problems continue to impede progress.

There is also the question of where these cases sit in a crowded queue. The courts are dealing with serious crimes, including murder, rape, robbery and cash-in-transit heists, and cases involving the deaths of cyclists risk being pushed down the priority list.

“But when it comes to a cyclist getting knocked down and sadly passing away, the courts dealing with rapes, murders, robberies, cash-in-transit heists, all of those kinds of things, and we just seem to sometimes get knocked down the pecking order sadly,” Robinson said.

Meanwhile, there are signs of movement. Robinson said the association’s relationship with law enforcement has improved. About two years ago, it struggled even to obtain the names of people who had been injured or killed in collisions. Since then, it has built relationships with senior police officials and has recently been appointed to receive sensitive and critical information relating to policing. Despite these developments, he said the association has limited power to address the systemic problems, and he called on South Africans to hold public officials accountable.

There was some encouragement in Lombo’s case. Witnesses came forward and insisted on giving statements to police, helping identify the driver responsible. The driver was arrested four days after the collision.

“It’s tremendously satisfying when something like it happens,” Robinson said, adding that members of the public had also come forward in other cases, including that of La Grange.

Robinson attended the memorial ride for Lombo in Somerset West, where Premier Alan Winde joined cyclists paying tribute to the teenager. Between 120 and 140 people attended the early-morning gathering despite the cold weather. The event brought together members of the cycling community, including riders from the academy, to mourn Lombo and show support for her family. The response, Robinson said, demonstrated that people were prepared to stand together in the aftermath of such tragedies.

“We love this sport. We love this recreation. These things can’t stop us,” he said.

While calling for greater accountability when motorists kill cyclists, Robinson also stressed the importance of road safety. Cyclists, he said, have the same right as other road users to travel from one place to another, whether by bicycle, on foot or in a vehicle. He urged cyclists to ride in single file, ensure they are clearly visible and use routes that are as safe as possible.

“We can’t lose any more cyclists,” he said.