Thoriso Themane was killed by a group of learners over the past weekend and his body dumped in Flora Park. Photo: Twitter
The seven schoolboys accused of murdering Thoriso Themane have been granted R2,000 bail each.
The minors’ bail comes with strict conditions attached – the relocation of the accused to outside of Polokwane by their parents, their remaining under their parents’ guardianship, their refraining to commit or become involved in any violent acts while their trial is ongoing, and their staying away from all schools in Polokwane.
Family spokesperson and representative for the Thoriso Themane foundation Kevin Pohotona told News24 the granting of bail for the suspects was “very disappointing”.
“It was very obvious that the matter was already decided before the accused were called into the box. You could just see the smiles on the faces of the accused when they walk into the box and the body language of their parents,” he said.
The murder of 27-year-old Themane, allegedly by schoolchildren, some of which attended Capricorn High School in Limpopo, has shocked the country as videos of the murder circulated on social media, and one of the suspects boasted that his father would protect him.
Limpopo police spokesperson Colonel Moatshe Ngoepe confirmed on Tuesday that the Polokwane police were investigating a case of murder in Flora Park, a leafy suburb near the central business district of Polokwane, over the weekend.
According to police information, the man had been arguing with a group of pupils who were at the school over the weekend.
The pupils then allegedly brutally assaulted him, throwing stones and dragging him on to a public road, while several recorded videos and cracked jokes during the assault. The bruised and bloody man was discovered by motorists who called the police.
According to police records, the attack happened on Sunday at about 9.50am.
“On arriving at the scene, police found the man lying along a street. He was taken to the hospital where he was certified dead on arrival.
READ MORE: Son of retired cop confesses to kicking Thoriso Themane ‘several times’
“Initial investigations revealed that the victim had been assaulted by a group of people in the area and one person was taken in for questioning. The motive behind this incident is not clear at this stage, but ongoing investigations will find the exact cause.”
One Flora Park resident, who said her child was a pupil at the school, said the parents were worried that only a few of the pupils, who did not have convenient connections at the local police station, were called in for questioning.
This was after it emerged that the father of one suspected killer in the group was a high-ranking police officer.
A woman, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal, said: “We want all children identified to have taken part in the assault and the killing of the man to be named and shamed. Otherwise, justice will not be served in this matter, because only the haves are treated with velvet gloves and the poor and the lesser known differently.”
Ngoepe first said five pupils between the ages of 15 and 17 years were arrested. Another two minors were arrested after this.
Democratic Alliance (DA) provincial chairperson Jacques Smalle called on the Limpopo department of education to beef up security at the school.
“According to the reports received by the DA, the use of drugs cannot be ruled out in the boys’ wayward actions. Some of these children are seen on the video bragging about the gruesome incident. That is so heartless. The life of a person is not tantamount to that of a locust,” said Smalle.
“It takes a lot of guts to fight a person, let alone kill them. It is therefore very important for the authorities to check all the angles and take drastic action against the offenders.”
The provincial department of education’s spokesperson, Sam Makonde, said no official statements or reports had been sent from the school, but the department had received information from the police. The department had dispatched a psychosocial team to the school to provide counselling “so the focus returns to teaching and learning while the law takes its course”.
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