Johannesburg - Christmas came early for a minor who was tried for the murder of Mozambican hawker Emmanuel Sithole when he was released into the care of his parents last week.
On Tuesday, the 17-year-old brought forward a bail application at the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on new facts.
The teen was convicted on a lesser charge of theft and assault, and acquitted of murder last month.
He will now return to court on January 29, when sentencing procedures are expected to start, alongside his co-accused, Mthinto Bhengu, 22, and Sifundo Mzimela, 21, who were both convicted of murder.
The trio made headlines in April when they stabbed Sithole to death.
Sithole, a street vendor, was attacked after demanding money from the minor, who stole a cigarette and sweets from his stall.
The attack was captured by Sunday Times photographer James Oatway, whose 49 pictures were obtained as evidence that successfully contributed to the convictions of the three accused.
Last week, the minor’s father pleaded with parents to be vigilant and to monitor their children’s behaviour and actions.
“As parents, we are never with our children wherever they go. Look at me: I am a taxi driver and hardly spend time with my son.
“Had I known these friends (of his), maybe I could have put a stop to their friendship ages ago. The only friends I knew were those from school because I always saw him with them.
“I only saw the co-accused for the first time in court when they appeared. I was shocked, because they are far older than him.”
He added: “It is never easy. Once it has been proven that your child has acted against the law, the only thing you can do is support and en-courage them to be rehabilitated.”
On Tuesday, father and son left the court walking side by side.
The pair were heading to the Noord Street taxi rank, from where a vehicle transported them to their Alexandra home.
Now the father is clinging to the hope that his son will focus on his studies next year before sentencing.
“I want him back at school next year. A year of schooling has been wasted because of his behaviour. I never thought he was capable of committing a crime and befriending such people. All I want is for him to focus on his studies no matter what the sentencing outcome will be,” he said.
“My dream was to see him shine and be a better person, unlike myself. I had faith in him. He was doing well at school. He has always shown interest in his studies.”
Next year, the teen will repeat Grade 11 after missing eight months of schooling.
In the next few days, he will travel to his relatives in KwaZulu-Natal for Christmas and return to start the new school year.
For now, his father said they wanted to put everything behind them.
“We’ve welcomed him back at home. It’s a jovial mood here. Everyone is excited to have him home. His siblings are always at his side. They were emotional when he returned home. Although they knew he was in prison, they had no idea why he was detained.”
The teen also took a moment and apologised to his parents for his deeds.
“I think the reunion will bring back some excitement in the family. Prison life was difficult and unwelcoming. I won’t encourage people to commit crime. It was hard being at Sun City (Johannesburg Prison). We were crowded in a cell, and sometimes slept on the floor,” he said, adding that spending time at the place of safety made him reflect on his actions.
The teenager spent a few days at the notorious Joburg prison after lying about his age. He was then transferred to a place of safety, after it was established that he was 17 years old at the time of his arrest.
On Saturday night his mother expressed her apologies to the Sithole family, saying her son’s actions had left Sithole’s children without a father.
The Sunday Independent
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