Boy stabbed to death

A TEENAGER from Pimville, Soweto, lost his life in a fight involving izikhothane over the weekend.

Izikhothane are proponents of a township sub-culture who are known for their love of expensive brands. Rival groups meet to display their expensive wares and then burn them.

Thato Motale, 18, pictured, was stabbed twice in the chest on Saturday night. He died on the way to hospital.

A 16-year-old cousin of Motale yesterday told Sowetan he was visiting a friend around his area when he saw izikhothane dancing and swearing.

"I was talking to my friend, minding my own business, when one izikhothane approached me and started swearing at me," the boy said.

He said while he was asking one izikhothane to leave him alone, four of them approached him and he fled.

At about 8pm he met a friend at a guesthouse near his home, where they were later joined by Motale.

"As I was telling my cousin about what happened during the day I saw the same izikhothane approaching us. We confronted them and Thato asked me to point out who was bothering me," he said.

Motale fought with one of them but he managed to get away, the boy said.

"We ran after them and one of them tried to take another route, but Thato ran after him. Thato tripped and fell.

"The one izikhothane came and stabbed Thato twice and then ran away," the teary boy said.

Kliptown police spokeswoman Constable Zanele Bens said a murder case had been opened and a suspect was arrested on Monday.

"He will appear in the Protea Magistrate Court on Thursday," said Bens.

- lerato@sowetan. co.za