Court finds farm staffers guilty for killing of Coligny teen

Two farm employees charged with killing a teenage boy in Coligny over stolen sunflowers were found guilty in the North West High Court in Mahikeng yesterday.

Judge Ronnie Hendricks convicted Pieter Doorewaard, 27, and Phillip Schutte, 34, of murder, kidnapping, intimidation, theft and pointing of a firearm.

The state had charged that the pair killed Matlhomola Mosweu, 16, on April 20 last year by pushing him out of a moving van after they allegedly caught him stealing from their employer’s field.

The court had earlier heard that Mosweu had five or six sunflower heads worth about R60 in his possession.

The two maintained he jumped from the moving van. The sole eyewitness, Bonakele Pakisi, however, testified that Mosweu was pushed out of the moving van.

During the trial, prosecutor Rapula Molefe said: “The accused were not credible and reliable witnesses.

“The version of the accused also indicated the following legal issues: in arresting the deceased the accused were involved in a civil arrest which places certain duties on them. One, to take care of the deceased by protecting him from harm, two to take precautionary measures against any harm to the deceased”.

Molefe argued that the state witnesses were credible, emphasising that Brigadier Clifford Kgorane had been a very impressive witness, as he had accepted the poor investigation by the Coligny police.

The defence had argued that there was no credible evidence indicating Doorewaard and Schutte threatened or intimidated Mosweu.

Mosweu’s death set off a mass violent protest in Coligny in which six houses and three trucks were torched, several shops were looted and damaged.

The case was postponed to today for sentencing. – ANA with additional reporting by OFM News