Son of retired cop confesses to kicking Thoriso Themane ‘several times’

The father of a teen who bragged about being untouchable after being implicated in 27-year-old Thoriso Themane’s alleged murder said his son was mistaken for thinking he was above the law.

A video of one of the suspects has been circulating on social media, with South Africans calling for justice to prevail in the case that has shaken the Polokwane community.

In the video, a pupil who is taking the video asks another if he is happy that he killed someone, to which he replies in Sepedi: “I know you cannot do anything to my father.”

The video infuriated social media users, who vowed not to rest until justice was served, despite the suspect’s apparent protection.

However, the father, a retired warrant officer, who cannot be named to protect the minor, said he was wrong for saying that, adding that he “confessed” to taking part in Themane’s assault, and kicking him “several times”.

The 15-year-old boy reportedly accused Themane of stealing one of his friend’s cellphones.

He told TimesLive: “I can’t send my son to do crime, it was just a group of naughty boys who got involved in something they know nothing about. Apparently, they chased the suspect until he jumped into a nearby property where a woman at the property summoned help. Two men responded and one of them hit the [now] deceased with a wheel spanner. So when my son and his friends joined in the attack, the man had already been bleeding.”

Limpopo police spokesperson Colonel Moatshe Ngoepe confirmed on Tuesday that five pupils between the ages of 15 and 17 years were arrested and further arrests would be determined by the outcome of investigations.

According to a Limpopo South African Police Service statement on Tuesday, Themane’s body was found dumped on Erasmus and Cestrum Avenue in Flora Park, Polokwane.

“It is alleged that on 24 February at about 9.50am, a 27-year-old man was found lying along the streets in the city of Polokwane by a community member.

“The victim was taken to hospital but certified dead on arrival. The police were summoned and started with the initial investigations which revealed that the victim was assaulted by a group of people in the area and one person is currently taken in for questioning.

“The motive behind this incident is not clear at this stage but the ongoing police investigations will tell,” said the SAPS in a statement.

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