A motorist who was involved in a crash on the Johannesburg M1 in which five people died appeared briefly in the Randburg Magistrate's Court on Tuesday, SABC news reported.

Siyabonga Miaka was facing five charges of culpable homicide following the deaths of five occupants of a car he crashed into on Sunday morning.

He was allegedly travelling in the wrong direction on the M1 north when he collided head-on with an oncoming car.

Five people died on the scene and five more were injured.

Miaka, who was not asked to plead, was facing further charges of driving under the influence of alcohol, reckless driving and theft of a motor vehicle.

The Toyota Condor he was driving at the time of the accident was reported stolen in Alexandra.

The case was postponed to Friday.

Sapa