Nigerian rapper 3GAR to face charges for reckless driving after McLaren crash in Sea Point

IOL News

17 hours ago

. The driver of the McLaren that had a high-speed accident in Sea Point will be prosecuted.
Image: Atlantic Seaboard Community Forum
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has confirmed that Nigerian rapper Prince Daniel Obioma, known by his stage name 3GAR, will be prosecuted for reckless or negligent driving after crashing his McLaren 570S in Sea Point earlier this year.
The crash occurred on March 1 on High Level Road, where the high-performance vehicle allegedly reached speeds of up to 200km/h before slamming into a wall.
Obioma was hospitalised after the incident.
Despite CCTV footage capturing the vehicle travelling at high speed and a public outcry, no arrest has yet been made, and charges have not been formally laid.
Police spokesperson Sergeant Wesley Twigg said: 'Kindly be advised that the case docket is still at the office of the Senior State Prosecutor and this office is awaiting the outcome of the decision.'
However, regional NPA spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila confirmed: 'We have decided to prosecute. He will be summoned, but he has not yet been served with a J175. There is no court date at this stage.'
The delay in taking action has drawn criticism from political figures, including DA MP Nicholas Gotsell, who serves on the Select Committee for Security and Justice.
'The wheels of justice are turning, whether you are an ordinary motorist or a so-called celebrity. Nobody is above the law,' said Gotsell.
'After months of pressure on SAPS to stop stalling and shift out of neutral to finalise the investigation, the NPA has now confirmed that the driver will face charges of reckless or negligent driving. Reckless drivers have no place tearing through our neighbourhoods and endangering lives, no matter where you live or what you drive.'
Gotsell accused police of dragging their feet, despite clear video evidence.
'It has been months since a McLaren supercar, driven recklessly through Sea Point by a well-known rapper, crashed into a wall. Yet, SAPS has still not laid any charges or made any arrests,' he said. 'Despite clear CCTV footage and mounting public frustration, the investigation remains stalled, and the silence from SAPS is deafening.'
Gotsell stated he wrote twice to Western Cape Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Thembisile Patekile to seek clarity on the case.
'The response was non-committal and said that he cannot offer a timeline on when it will be completed.'
He questioned why a case backed by visual evidence remained unresolved, particularly at a station like Sea Point, which he noted does not face the same caseload as other precincts in the province.
'My response to him was that Sea Point police station is not nearly as busy as other stations in the Western Cape, and therefore I find it strange that an investigation like this has not delivered any decisions in two months.'
Gotsell said the matter highlighted a broader problem with how authorities respond to reckless driving in Cape Town.
'There must be consequences, not just to hold this individual accountable, but to send a clear message: reckless driving endangers lives, and no amount of fame or fanfare will place you above the law.'
He previously criticised the public response, saying Obioma had continued to build an online persona while avoiding accountability.
'The rapper who crashed the McLaren continues to reinvent himself online, now boasting about his other car, fortunately, an SUV,' Gotsell said.
'But his safety does not undo the danger he posed to others. His narrative of victimhood has been widely accepted by fans, and, it seems, by the police as well.'
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