The Swazi national whose lorry ploughed through a Pinetown intersection killing 24 people will plead to 24 charges of culpable homicide on October 24.

Sanele Goodness May made a brief appearance in the Durban High Court on Friday.

He had been expected to plead guilty to the charges, but prosecutor Alistair Walters told Judge Gregory Kruger that the director of public prosecutions still had to examine the plea agreement and sign it.

Kruger adjourned the case to October 24.

On the evening of September 5 last year, in rush-hour traffic, May's truck smashed into four minibus taxis and two cars at an intersection at the bottom of Fields Hill in Pinetown.

Twenty-two people were killed at the scene. Two died later in hospital.

May has been in custody ever since and was previously denied bail in the Pinetown Magistrate's Court.

Initially he was charged with 24 counts of murder, but this was changed to 24 culpable homicide charges.