2012-12-05 12:28
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Jub Jub sentencing
Kwaito star Jub Jub appeared in the Protea Magistrate’s Court for sentencing. See all the pictures.
Johannesburg – Convicted murderer Molemo Jub Jub Maarohanye‘s life in prison is not good, the Protea Magistrate’s Court heard on Wednesday.
“It’s not good; I don’t know how else to answer that question,” Maarohanye said after his attorney Rudi Krause asked what life in prison was like. “I don’t want to go to prison.”
Maarohanye was testifying in his sentencing procedures.
He sat looking downwards in the dock before reading an affidavit.
“I will never be able to undo what happened,” he softly said.
“If afforded the opportunity, I want to publicly apologise for any harm caused, unintended.”
Emotional
The court was adjourned to allow an emotional Maarohanye to compose himself.
He said that if he did not have to serve a prison term, he would establish a trust fund which would benefit the schoolchildren’s families.
He told the court about his childhood and about his influence on the youth.
The courtroom was packed with many schoolchildren trying to catch a glimpse of the kwaito singer.
One asked outside court: “Where is my Jub Jub?”
Family members of the schoolchildren sat in the first three rows of the public gallery.
Remorse
Earlier, a social worker testified that remorse cannot be measured.
People’s personal circumstances needed to be taken into consideration in sentencing, social worker Annette Vergeer said.
Rudi Krause, for Maarohanye, called Vergeer, who had compiled a report on the 32-year-old musician.
“Regret or remorse is totally circumstantial,” Vergeer said.
“The fact that he [Maarohanye] didn’t plead guilty: you can’t say he didn’t show remorse or doesn’t regret the accident.”
She said Maarohanye was the breadwinner in his family and had about 15 people working for him.
Vergeer said the circumstances in prisons were “devastating” and they were often overcrowded.
“He is considered a suitable candidate for correctional supervision,” she told the court.
Community service
She proposed a suspended prison sentence and 570 hours of community service as a suitable sentence.
On October 16, Maarohanye and Tshabalala were found guilty on four counts of murder and two of attempted murder, of using drugs, racing on a public road, and of driving under the influence of drugs.
They were drag-racing in Protea North on March 8, 2010, when they crashed into a group of schoolboys, killing Prince Mohube, Mlungisi Cwayi, Andile Mthombeni, and Phomello Masemola, and leaving Frank Mlambo and Fumani Mushwana permanently brain damaged.
Maarohanye and Tshabalala were denied bail after judgment was handed down. Maarohanye applied for bail on November 7, but was denied.
Vergeer told the court Maarohanye wanted to approach the schoolchildren’s families to apologise for his involvement in the accident.
He also wanted to establish a trust fund for the families, and planned to generate an income for it by holding concerts.
– SAPA
Original post:
I don’t want to go to prison – Jub Jub