Learner accused of killing matriculant in eMbalenhle gets bail

It came out in court that after the incident, another boy grabbed the knife and tried to run away with it, but other learners caught him and retrieved the weapon.

March 26, 2025

Mphikeleli Masangu 1 minute read

Grade 12 learner Kelvin Madikgetla was stabbed on February 27. He died later that same day.

The Evander Magistrate’s Court granted Innocent Sopoli (19) bail of R2 000 on March 18.

Sopoli, a Grade 10 learner from Thomas Nhlabathi Secondary School in eMbalenhle was arrested and charged with murder after he allegedly stabbed a fellow learner with a knife on February 27.

Kelvin Madikgetla, a Grade 12 learner, succumbed to his injuries at a local clinic. It came out in court that after the incident, another boy grabbed the knife and tried to run away with it, but other learners caught him and retrieved the weapon.

The court also heard Sopoli and Madikgetla allegedly argued about a school desk the day before the stabbing.

Sopoli was arrested the same day and held in police custody until his bail hearing.

He was released on condition that he be accepted to a school outside the Govan Mbeki jurisdiction and that he does not contact any witness in the case. The case was postponed to May 2 for further investigation.