With the trial including testimony of shocking video footage where one of Thorisho Themane’s murderers said, ‘Come and see how the Big 5 commit a murder’, four teenagers will find out what sentence awaits them today.

Despite three of the accused having turned 18 and another 19 since their arrest, four teenagers found guilty of murdering Thorisho Themane in 2019, will be sentenced according to the Child Justice Act as they were minors when the offence was committed.

NPA spokesperson Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi says the four will appear before the Limpopo High Court: Polokwane Division today as sentencing proceedings resume.

In December 2021, deputy judge president Violet Semenya ruled that four of the six teens were guilty of murder. The remaining two teenagers were found guilty of assault, while two adults, Chuene Maleka and Alfred Mothapo, were found guilty of assault with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

Themane’s murder grabbed national headlines in February 2019 after a video emerged on social media showing how his lifeless body was carried minors.

It was alleged at the time that he was murder murdered by school learners and that it was related to gang activity.

Malabi-Dzhangi said that during the trial, two witnesses indicated that they invited other gangs to join them in assaulting the deceased. They also mentioned that one of the accused said ‘Come and see how the big five commit a murder’, while continuing to assault Themane.

Eleven people were initially charged with his murder.  Two of the accused were adults, while the other nine were minors at the time.

One of the minors passed away before the matter was moved to the Limpopo High Court and three of the remaining minors have since turned state witness.