Phuti Mosomane and Sapa

The trial of Sizwe Mankazana, who is accused of culpable homicide in the death of Nelson Mandela's great-grandaughter, continues in the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court on Friday.

Mankazana was driving 13-year-old Zenani Mandela home from a Soccer World Cup concert at Orlando Stadium on June 11, 2010, when they crashed.

A photograph showing how a roadside barrier penetrated the car in which 13-year-old Zenani Mandela died was submitted to the court on Thursday.

For the first time, the court was able to see how the steel barrier ripped into the Mercedes-Benz, and dragged like a tail behind the car as it careened across the M1, hit a lamppost and came to a standstill.

Kenny Oldwage, appearing for the defence, said roadside barriers were designed to absorb the force of impact in a car accident and deflect "any offending object."

Mankazana faces charges of drunk driving and culpable homicide.

She was the great-granddaughter of Nelson Mandela and the granddaughter of Zindzi Mandela, the daughter of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela.

The accused’s father, Zwelakhe Mnkazana, was dating Zenani Mandela-Dlamini, the teenager’s grandmother, when the incident happened.

phutim@thenewage.co.za