Judgement is expected in a Limpopo murder case where eight people allegedly assaulted Thoriso Themane to death two years ago.
On Tuesday, legal representatives for both sides wrapped up their final arguments.
According to the NPA, in February 2019 the teens accused Themane of stealing a cap. They then assaulted him in Fauna Park in Polokwane.
The aspiring musician died in hospital hours later. A video of his assault was recorded and went viral on social media.
The case was held in-camera because some of the suspects are minors.
Police arrested six teenagers and two adults, Chuene Maleka and Alfred Mothapo, for Themane’s murder.
The men have meanwhile maintained that they were not involved in the fatal assault.
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Men deny being at the scene
NPA spokesperson, Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi, says the men told the court that they were not at the scene.
They claimed that the teens assaulted Themane outside Mothapo’s homestead.
“They told the court that they could not stop the fight because of the amount of attackers. Previously, a state witness said both the older men assaulted Themane and one of them hit him with a car jack,” she says.
The teens’ version was disputed by the men’s legal team, led by Advocate Nyathi. Nyathi added that the men stopped to call the police.
“After the arguments, Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Advocate Mashudu Mudau submitted that there was evidence linking child offenders to the charge of murder as they were participating from stage one even inviting the other group to join them to assault the deceased.
“He further said child offender number 3 even called the other group to come and see how the ‘Big five commits murder’ The adults are out on bail and the minors were released under parental care,” Malabi-Dzhangi says.
Judgement is expected to be handed down on Wednesday.
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