Four of the six youngsters who attacked 28-year-old Thoriso Themane in 2019 have been found guilty by the Limpopo High Court, Polokwane of his murder, while the other two were found guilty of common assault.
Two other teen boys have been convicted of common assault while two adult males have been found guilty of assault to cause grievous bodily harm.
Themane, a budding musician, was beaten up and dragged through the streets of Fauna Park by the boys who were at the time aged between 13 and 16. They accused the 28-year-old Themane of stealing one of the school boy’s caps.
A video showing Themane being assaulted by a mob of schoolboys went viral in 2019, sparking outrage.
The National Prosecuting Authority’s Mashudu Malabi Dzhangi said: “The four young offenders were convicted of murder after the court was satisfied with the doctrine of common purpose. They never discussed themselves even though one of them was inviting another group to join them.”
The two young offenders who were found guilty of common assault submitted a plea statement claiming that they slapped and kicked the deceased before leaving the scene.
In January, a 16-year-old accused told the court the assault started when he was bitten by Themane. He said he then struck Themane with an open hand before the other teens accused of the murder joined in the assault.
The witness further testified that Themane ran for cover inside a house belonging to one of the two adults charged with his murder. He said the group of teenagers chased after him and the assault continued.