Five of the six men who stoned a police officer before setting him alight were convicted in the North West High Court‚ sitting in the Ga-Rankua Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.
Walter Lesego Mphahle‚ 26‚ Baneli Somakhaula Mabena‚ 30‚ Samuel Ndoko Khoza‚ 28‚ Johnny Ernest Sithole ‚ 30‚ and Obert Matlhomola Mathebula‚ 39‚ were found guilty of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm‚ malicious damage to property‚ robbery with aggravated circumstances and murder.
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Bongani France Dube was acquitted of all charges.
The group killed Koos Lehlabi in front of the Maplankeng/Fikizane tavern in Ga-Rankua on New Year’s day last year.
Lehlabi‚ who was a police sergeant attached to Mabopane railway police‚ and relatives were travelling from Lebanon in Mabopane to Hamanskraal in two cars.
They encountered a group of people partly blocking the road‚ Lehlabi pleaded with them to make way for the two cars but was ignored.
An altercation ensued during which Lehlabi allegedly fired a warning shot and then at three people. He was stoned by the group before being set alight.
- TMG Digital/Sowetan