The family of Coligny teenager Matlhomola Mosweu are devastated after hearing that two farm workers found guilty of killing their son want to spend the festive season outside jail.

Matlhomola’s father Saki Dingake said he was beginning to come to terms with the death of his son after the court had found the two men accused of killing him guilty.

“I was in a process of healing, now they have opened a healing wound. I doubt that I will ever heal if the court extends their bail,” he said.

On Friday, Pieter Doorewaard and Phillip Schutte’s legal representatives approached the North West High Court arguing that it was within their clients' rights to have their bail extended while waiting to be sentenced.

Doorewaard and Schutte are expected to be sentenced on January 28 after Judge Ronald Hendricks found them guilty on October 17 of killing Matlhomola.

The incident last year in April saw the small farming town go up in flames as the black community burnt white-owned business properties, saying Matlhomola’s death was racially motivated.

He was killed after stealing sunflower heads at Rietvlei farm. "Can I also ask to spend my festive season with my child so that I can spend Christmas Day with him? I would then accept that he was murdered when the two go back to jail,” Dingake said.

Matlhomola’s mother Mmankhibi Mosweu said the news was too painful to bear.

“They managed to hire lawyers because they have money, now they want to be outside while found guilty of killing my son,” she said.

She said the pair’s wish was hurting her. “It is not nice. They killed my son and after killing him they make unbelievable demands, it makes me sad,” she said.

“We can't do anything, it hurts. I can't forget him. I still cry when I look at his photographs, I miss him,” she said

Matlhomola was in grade 6 when he died. His mother said even though he did not tell her what he wanted to do after completing school, she had hoped he would work for her.

“How could they say they want their bail to be extended? I don’t get to see my son because they killed him. They can’t say it's okay for them to see their families after being found guilty of killing my son,” she said.

Dingake said if the court grants the pair’s wish, it would mean that they were special. “If their extended bail gets granted, it will mean blacks [people] are nothing; maybe it's because we are poor and they have money. Others go to jail, what makes them better?,” he asked.

The North West High Court has reserved judgment after receiving heads of argument from the National Prosecuting Authority.