A Cape Town metro police officer has been served with a suspension notice, amid an investigation into a fatal hit-and-run incident in Athlone earlier this month. 

This follows the death of 21-year-old Imtiyaaz Firfirey, who was hit by a vehicle on Jan Smuts Drive on 18 April. According to reports, Firfirey was reported missing at the time, and his family later identified him at a state mortuary. Athlone police had initially registered a case of culpable homicide for further investigation. 

“The incident happened on Jan Smuts Drive on Saturday, 2026-04-18. The driver is an off-duty Metro police member. The driver left the scene and did not report the incident at any police station. The suspected vehicle was recovered and processed by [the SAPS Forensic Science Laboratory],” said Western Cape police spokesperson, Captain F.C. Van Wyk. 

A 25-year-old metro police officer, Naeema Daniels, and 54-year-old Nadia Daniels (said to be Naeema’s mother) were arrested on Monday and appeared in court the following day. Naeema is believed to have been driving the vehicle, while Nadia is said to have been a passenger in the vehicle at the time of the incident. 

“Two adult females were arrested and appeared in the Athlone Magistrates’ court on Tuesday, 28 April 2026,” said Western Cape police spokesperson, Sergeant Wesley Twigg.  

Naeema faces charges including failure to report an accident, failure to ascertain the nature and extent of any damages sustained, failure to render assistance, failure to ascertain the nature of the injury, and failure to immediately stop.  She was reportedly released on R4,000 bail and is due to return to court on 24 July. 

Nadia was reportedly charged with defeating the ends of justice and released on a warning.  

Metro Police spokesperson, Ruth Solomons, confirmed the arrest of the officer, adding that she was off duty at the time of the incident.  

She noted that the Metro Police Department will cooperate with police “where needed, to finalise the matter”. 

“The City has zero tolerance for conduct unbecoming – the officer was served with a suspension notice following her court appearance on Tuesday,” said Solomons.  

The Animal Welfare Society suspects that there’s a new hijacking tactic, after inspectors with the organisation found dogs tied up along the R300.  

The organisation was informed of the discovery on Sunday, as dogs were tied by the neck with wire to palisade walls along the road near Samora Machel.  

“Criminals on the Cape Flats have stooped to an unthinkable new low to ambush motorists on the R300. They have taken to hanging dogs from the concrete palisade walls that line parts of the roadway with bits of wire tightly wound around their neck leaving them to dangle and suffer,” read the organisation statement on the matter. 

A motorist had called the organisation to report that they had witnessed a dog hanging from the wall, and another jammed between the palisades.  

“Their inclination was to stop and help but they suspected that this may be a trap so alerted us as soon as it was safe to do so.” 

The organisation believes this incident was aimed at causing a distressing scene and forcing motorists to stop and assist. They suspect that the criminals would then rob the motorists.  

When inspectors arrived, the dogs had already succumbed to their injuries.  

“Senior Inspector Sivuyile Kilwa accompanied by our Senior Nurses Michelle Henning responded to the scene within minutes, but tragically both dogs had already succumbed due to their injuries and suffocation.” 

The organisation believes this is not an isolated incident and calls on motorists to report similar incidents immediately.   

“If you witness or suspect a setup like this do not stop! Instead, please call our emergency hotline on 082 601 1761.” 

Residents and businesses along Misty Cliffs near Scarborough have confirmed to Smile FM that a viral video showing a bakkie plunging off a steep road in the area on Sunday, 26 April, is authentic.

Neither City Traffic nor the Provincial Traffic Department had received any reports of the incident.

According to the community, the driver had been collecting furniture from a property on Old Camp Road when the vehicle’s brakes apparently failed. The bakkie then went over the low roadside wall and plunged onto Main Road below.

The driver managed to climb out of the vehicle, shaken but seemingly unharmed.

Residents say a section of the wall was damaged in the incident. Council workers were on site on Wednesday to place danger tape on the affected section. They returned with sandbags and a warning sign a short while later.

They add that the video does not show workers who had been riding on the back of the bakkie jumping off moments before it went over the edge.

The incident was captured on a roadside CCTV camera operated by the Misty Cliffs Village Association.

One of the association’s leaders, Seema Khehar, told Smile FM that residents have repeatedly raised concerns with the City of Cape Town about the dangers of Old Camp Road, calling for measures such as warning signage, an entry barrier, a safety wall and/or painted red lines.

She says the latest incident is not isolated, noting that in recent months, two trucks have overturned on the steep road, while another crashed into the wall, causing further damage. Heavy trucks, ignoring the 3-ton limit on the road, also get stuck there periodically.

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