Two farm workers accused of killing a Coligny teenager after accusing him of stealing a sunflower head have been found guilty by the North West High Court in Mahikeng.
Pieter Doorewaard and Phillip Schutte were taken to the police cells on Wednesday after a trial lasting more than a year.
They were convicted of killing Matlhomola Mosweu on April 20 2017 by throwing him out of a moving bakkie.
The two had told the court in their evidence that the sole witness in the case was not telling the truth when he said he had seen them throwing Mosweu from a moving bakkie. They claimed instead that he had jumped off while they were driving him to the nearest police station.
Handing down judgment‚ Judge Ronald Hendricks said he found it unbelievable that the sole witness‚ Bonakele Pakisi‚ had lied in his evidence.
“Think about it‚ Pakisi must have been very innovative to identify all the places where the incident happened. He could have easily testified about the initial place where the incident happened. This is almost rocket science‚” he said.
Hendricks said Pakisi had happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. He said the state had proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt.
The two were found guilty of murder‚ kidnapping‚ of pointing a firearm‚ theft and intimidation. They will be sentenced on Thursday.
– SowetanLIVE