Mon May 20 21:22:19 SAST 2013
Mon May 20 21:22:19 SAST 2013

'Thug' killed for nothing

May 7, 2012 | Frank Maponya | 31 comments

He was innocent - cops

THE Limpopo "thug" who died from injuries inflicted by angry students of the University of Limpopo's Turfloop campus was actually killed for nothing.

Police have discovered that Lekau Ephraim Mamabolo, 24, of Unit F in Mankweng, and seven of his friends were innocent people who had gone to the university to chill with their friends.

The incident happened on Wednesday last week when a group of eight men, including Mamabolo, went to the institution.

A female student was allegedly robbed of her cellphone and she raised the alarm. Other students apprehended five of the men (three managed to flee and were arrested later) and assaulted them severely. The victims were rescued by the police and taken to hospital.

There were allegations that the men were responsible for a spate of criminal activities in and around the campus. The university had been experiencing a number of criminal activities in the recent past. Students were being robbed of their belongings. A law student was stabbed to death two weeks ago.

Mankweng police spokesman Constable Moses Molepo confirmed yesterday that all suspects had been freed.

He said their investigations had revealed that the victims were not linked to incidents on campus.

But university spokesman Kgalema "DK" Mohuba, said they had not yet received official confirmation of the police investigations.

Comments

Mon May 20 21:22:19 SAST 2013 ::
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May 7, 2012

Papage

So are you going to arrest the students and charge them with murder, because you say the alleged Thugs are innocent?
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May 7, 2012

legaleagle2

Stolen items recovered from the gang...so, wheres the innocent in that? SAPS will surprise you, I havent even seen them on campus.....


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May 7, 2012

sabza007

Thats just lazy investigations, we were told that all seven are not students of that University.How then did thy all get in? I don't b.u.y this innocence shiit story. When I was still at the Technikon 6 years back, Students were robbed,r.a.p.e.d and sometimes killled by outsiders.The Security company must take responsibility.
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May 7, 2012

BaleliM

since when are thugs innocent? if they are not students, what were they doing at the campus?
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May 7, 2012

Uppercut

Just to think the police station is just a stone throw away from the varsity makes me sick about our police system. That security company is useless period and should be fired.
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May 7, 2012

MommaC

Which cops are taking protection money from the gang?
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May 7, 2012

tlebebe

thugs chilling at the wrong place for the wrong reason.
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May 7, 2012

RobinH

BaleliM. I think the point is that they were clearly NOT thugs. Surely non-students are allowed to visit campus. I certainly used to visit friends in residence when I was not. I find this whole incident, and the fact that even people miles away just assumed that the 7 men were thugs simply because they were on campus and actually condoned this barbaric behaviour of "students" absolutely shocking. As a people we are losing our sense of perspective entirely. And I blame this fact on the constant disappointments we experience in our country's leadership. No "leadership" emanates from our higher echelons.
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May 7, 2012

legaleagle2

@RobinH Im a student on campus, and I tell you now, articles were recovered from these people, but its ok, its nothing new, this is what the SAPS does now and again, we are not surprised, not once, since last thursday morning have i seen cops around campus, if they ever questioned anyone, its these guys who got beaten, not the girl who was robbed and later recovered her phone. its ok, no point in arguing about this, students are a lil safer now, i can walk from the library to my room late at night and not feel like im in a war zone.
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May 7, 2012

RobinH

legaleagle> Being "on campus" is meaningless unless you were actual;ly present at the scene. I'm not actually interested in the guilt or innocence of the people. My horror is that supposedly educated people receiving education in order to become productive citizens should, without trial or any legal process, beat a guy to death. With respect, such behaviour beggars belief.
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